Retour de Guyane

First edition, one of 50 copies numbered on alfa paper, the only deluxe paper issue.

Bound in full beige sheepskin, spine ruled in black, gilt date at foot, minor rubbing to the edges of the boards, marbled endpapers, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.

Pencil annotations relating to the reading of the work.

Gift inscription by a former member of the José Corti publishing house: "A monsieur Marchaux en témoignage de sympathie ce tout premier livre publié par José Corti."

Above all else Damas's writing theatened conventional society. This pamphlet Retour de Guyane was bought in big numbers by the colonial authorities and burnt.

"He takes aim at everything that moves, adopting a particular and fitting mode of discourse: the pamphlet […]. Damas concludes that Guiana is a catastrophe and that the Guianese people are wallowing in total misery, on every level." (Biringanine Ndagano)

A rare deluxe copy of this explosive essay against euro-centrism.