Pre-publication edition of the most celebrated poem of the French Resistance: "Liberté, j'écris ton nom" by Paul Éluard.
Other contributions include André Gide’s "Trois rencontres avec Verlaine", Jean Cayrol, Luc Dietrich on "Le Chiffre des choses", Gabriel Audisio, and Albert Béguin.
Bradel binding in full paper, smooth spine, cream paper endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, binding signed Thomas Boichot.
Minor tears without loss along the margins of the covers, a light dampstain at the head of the first few leaves.
First state of the text with two words in the plural: “désirs” and “souvenirs” in stanzas 19 and 20, later changed to the singular. True original of the first public appearance (the publication in Poésie et Vérité 1942, antedated to April 3, 1942, was in fact printed only at the end of 1942 in a clandestine run of 65 copies). The manuscript sent to Max-Pol Fouchet, editor of the journal Fontaine, originally bore the title Une seule pensée, which was struck out and replaced by Liberté. However, Fouchet preferred to retain the less explicit version. In his memoirs, he explains that by means of this subterfuge he managed to secure official authorization from the censorship office in Algiers by passing the text off as a love poem.
This poem, which appeared at least ten times during the Second World War, would become the emblem of the Resistance and one of the most famous poems of the twentieth century. First publications (after the catalogue of the Max-Pol Fouchet library sale, 8 October 2022, which included the manuscript of the poem):
- Fontaine, No. 22, June 1942. First public appearance (approved and authorized by the censor), under the title “Une seule pensée.”
- Candide No. 963, 2 September 1942, excerpt (the final two stanzas).
- La France libre (London) No. 23, 15 September 1942 (under the title “Une seule pensée” and unsigned).
- Poésie et Vérité 1942, La Main à plume, late September 1942 and antedated to 3 April 1942 (to circumvent Vichy censorship). True first edition and first appearance of the poem under the title “Liberté.” In this version, one of the two words (“désirs”) is plural and the other (“souvenir”) singular.
- Cahiers du Rhône (Neuchâtel, La Baconnière), January 1943, under the title “Une seule pensée.”
- Revue du monde libre (London) No. 4, April 1943 (title: “Une seule pensée,” both “désirs” and “souvenirs” plural), small-format edition parachuted by the R.A.F.
- France-Amérique (New York), 19 December 1943 (title: “Une seule pensée,” both “désirs” and “souvenirs” plural).
- Éditions des Francs-tireurs partisans français du Lot [Cahors, circa 1944–1945] (under the definitive title “Liberté”).
- Fontaine, special issue (Conscience de la France), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1945 (title “Une seule pensée,” both “désir” and “souvenir” singular).
- Au rendez-vous allemand, expanded to include Poésie et Vérité 1942, Éditions de Minuit, April 1945.
