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It's exceedingly rare for us to add something so recent to our collection, an honour usually saved for important works which are signed or first editions, often both. However, this work breaks our golden rule: it is a piece of experimental modern fiction, purporting to be the autobiography of a fork. It was published in twelve parts across a year, with each chapter released monthly as was the modus operandi of Charles Dickens. Written by Alana Jelinek, who is an artist known for her use of fiction as an art-form, incorporating her writing into performances and paintings. This is an extremely unusual, and humorous, work. Housed in a smart clamshell box, 'The Fork's Tale' certainly differs from many autobiographies, as it is, after all, narrated by a fork...
An amateur astronomical work by Sir Patrick Moore, this work only just pre-dates the Moon landings, published in 1963. Musing on things that could one day be encountered by those brave enough to travel to the Moon, it is a wonderful insight into the astronomy of the 1960s. It includes marvellous photographs of the Moon, taken from the Kwasan Observatory in Japan. Illustrated with sixteen plates, this scarce first edition would make a splendid addition any library.
Cumnor Place was situated at the centre of a dark sixteenth century scandal. The marvellous country home was where Amy Robsart, the wife of the favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, was visiting when she was tragically found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. The accident happened while the family of the house and her husband were out, but rumours still abounded that her death had been orchestrated by her husband, who would gain enormously if the Queen sought to wed him with his wife having died accidentally. Her death featured in Walter Scott's 'Kenilworth', which renewed interest in the case and led to further speculation as to whether it was an accident or not. We have added an 1850 description of Cumnor Place, once situated in Berkshire but now in Oxfordshire. Sadly, the building was mostly demolished, with some alleging that its demolition at the start of the nineteenth century was due to Amy's ghost wreaking havoc. Our edition is complete with nineteenth century newspaper clippings on the tragedy.
And finally, our header this week comes from a charming 1784 prize-bound edition of the works of Virgil, in the original Latin.
Through the Rooke-ing Glass No. 23
What a week! We've been exceptionally busy over Halloween, with many first edition James Bonds, the first U.K. edition of 'Catcher in the Rye' and plentiful lovely classical works from the eighteenth century, many prize-bound. Although we've found nothing too spooky, criminal history seems a common theme in our more unusual works this week. Without further ado...
The Fork's Tale
It's exceedingly rare for us to add something so recent to our collection, an honour usually saved for important works which are signed or first editions, often both. However, this work breaks our golden rule: it is a piece of experimental modern fiction, purporting to be the autobiography of a fork. It was published in twelve parts across a year, with each chapter released monthly as was the modus operandi of Charles Dickens. Written by Alana Jelinek, who is an artist known for her use of fiction as an art-form, incorporating her writing into performances and paintings. This is an extremely unusual, and humorous, work. Housed in a smart clamshell box, 'The Fork's Tale' certainly differs from many autobiographies, as it is, after all, narrated by a fork...
Survey of the Moon
An amateur astronomical work by Sir Patrick Moore, this work only just pre-dates the Moon landings, published in 1963. Musing on things that could one day be encountered by those brave enough to travel to the Moon, it is a wonderful insight into the astronomy of the 1960s. It includes marvellous photographs of the Moon, taken from the Kwasan Observatory in Japan. Illustrated with sixteen plates, this scarce first edition would make a splendid addition any library.
An Historical and Descriptive Account of Cumnor Place, Berkshire
Cumnor Place was situated at the centre of a dark sixteenth century scandal. The marvellous country home was where Amy Robsart, the wife of the favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, was visiting when she was tragically found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. The accident happened while the family of the house and her husband were out, but rumours still abounded that her death had been orchestrated by her husband, who would gain enormously if the Queen sought to wed him with his wife having died accidentally. Her death featured in Walter Scott's 'Kenilworth', which renewed interest in the case and led to further speculation as to whether it was an accident or not. We have added an 1850 description of Cumnor Place, once situated in Berkshire but now in Oxfordshire. Sadly, the building was mostly demolished, with some alleging that its demolition at the start of the nineteenth century was due to Amy's ghost wreaking havoc. Our edition is complete with nineteenth century newspaper clippings on the tragedy.And finally, our header this week comes from a charming 1784 prize-bound edition of the works of Virgil, in the original Latin.