Writers' testimonies and interviews, autobiographical accounts, literary essays and criticism

First edition, adorned with a portrait frontispiece, drawn in ink and signed Dalex. The polychrome drawing is set within a frame traced in brown ink and accompanied by the Latin motto "gratia in me vacua non fuit" as well as the legend "Messire Jean d'Aranthon". An engraved head-piece depicting Christ and angels, with a few further head- and tail-pieces.

Contemporary brown calf, spine with five raised bands, gilt title, gilt compartments and fleurons between the bands, inner gilt dentelle. Binding lightly rubbed, with some abrasions and losses, the joint of the upper board slightly split at the head, a few light foxing marks to the leaves, some marginal dampstaining, blank...

First edition, with no deluxe-paper copies issued, one of the review copies.

A pleasant copy.

Precious signed presentation copy inscribed by Claude Simonnet to Jean Giono.

First edition, one of 20 numbered copies on Johannot pure wove paper, the only deluxe issue.

Rare and attractive copy.

New edition, partly original.
Publisher's full grey cloth, smooth spine, a pleasant copy complete with its illustrated dust jacket.
Richly illustrated.
Signed presentation inscription from Yves Bonnefoy to Jacques Hartmann and his wife Nancy.
 

First edition, printed in a small number of copies, of these extracts from the Cahiers de la Pléiade.

A few stains to the boards, with small red ink stains on the first page of Michel Tapié's text.

Signed presentation inscription from Henri Michaux to his friend, the painter and draughtsman Bernard Saby: "Les hommes qui ne donnent pas leur adresse ne craignent pas les exorcismes. Mais tout de même où est-il ce Saby? H.M."

Inspired both by his investigations into serial music and by his use of mescaline and hashish, Bernard Saby's painting aroused keen interest among his contemporaries. In 1956, his friend Henri Michaux gave him space in...

First collected edition, partly first edition, one of 129 numbered copies on wove paper, enhanced with an original engraving by Pierre Alechinsky, signed and numbered by the artist; our copy is one of the first 10 to contain a manuscript leaf, as stated in the limitation notice.

Signed by Yves Bonnefoy beneath the limitation notice.

A rare and fine copy.

First edition, privately printed in a small number of copies as an offprint from issue No. 6 of the review Hermès, devoted to the theme of emptiness, of which Henri Michaux was the first editor-in-chief.

A few stains to the upper wrapper.

Signed autograph inscription by Henri Michaux to his friend, the painter and draughtsman Bernard Saby: "Quelques mots encore amicalement à Bernard Saby. Henri Michaux."

Inspired both by his investigations into serial music and by his experiments with mescaline and hashish, Bernard Saby's painting aroused keen interest among his contemporaries. In 1956, his friend Henri Michaux welcomed him into the pages of...

First edition, printed in Russian by the London-based Stenvalley Press.

Publisher's red cloth binding, author, title and publisher lettered in gilt on the spine, complete with its two-colour printed dust jacket showing light wear.

A few ballpoint pen annotations on some pages, presumably by the recipient.

Autograph presentation inscription, signed and dated by the author, to Michel Garder: "Дорогому Мишелю Гарде - с глубокой признательностью. На добрую память. 29.I.1975." [To dear Michel Garder - with profound gratitude. In fond remembrance. 29.I.1975.]

New Elzevirian edition of these two works brought together in a single volume.

Two title-pages printed in red and black with the printer’s mark, five headpieces, five initials and three ornamental tailpieces.

Contemporary full vellum binding with small flaps, flat spine with manuscript author, titles and year of publication, traces of ties.

Binding slightly warped and soiled, the second title on the spine rubbed away, occasional very light spotting to the leaves.

New edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Dutch laid paper, the only deluxe-paper copies.

A very good copy.

First edition, one of the press copies.

Work illustrated with 57 reproductions of collages by Jacques Prévert.

A precious copy belonging to the actor Pierre Brasseur, Prévert's friend and collaborator, containing: 

• an autograph inscription signed by Jacques Prévert on the half-title page: "Pour Pierre Jacques", embellished with two small charms,
• an original collage depicting a bat dressed as a nun with outstretched wings below the justification of the print run, 
• facing the justification page, an autograph inscription signed by Jacques Prévert to Pierre Brasseur and Catherine Sauvage...

First edition, one of 500 copies on antique laid paper, the only issue after 10 copies on Japan paper and 25 on Holland paper.

Wrappers slightly soiled and rubbed, creasing to the corners of the wrappers and leaves, small losses to the lower margins of the first few leaves, occasional foxing.

First collected edition, one of 30 copies on alfa paper, this copy unnumbered but duly identified as printed on alfa at the foot of the spine and in the limitation statement, the only deluxe-paper copies.
Albert Camus's foreword appears here for the first time.
A pleasant copy.

First edition, one of 455 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the only deluxe-paper copies after 170 on Holland paper.
A fine copy despite some minor foxing, chiefly to the top edge.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Spine very lightly sunned, a trivial defect.

Signed autograph inscription from Marcel Pagnol to Mr. R. Bouchard on the printed dedication page.

First edition, one of 15 lettered copies on Imperial Japan paper, the deluxe issue.

Full red morocco, spine with five raised bands decorated with triple gilt compartments, very minor rubbing to the bands, gilt date at foot, gilt rolls to the spine ends, boards framed with triple gilt fillets, sand-coloured polished calf endleaves and doublures, wrappers and spine preserved, all edges gilt, slipcase edged in red morocco and covered with decorated paper sides, an elegant binding signed by Devauchelle.

A fine copy superbly bound in full morocco by Devauchelle.

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece in each volume and a folding plate at the end of the first volume.

Bradel-style bindings in brown half cloth with small corners, smooth spines very slightly faded and ruled in gilt, marbled-paper boards with a few minor scuffs, blue-grey endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges, bookplates pasted to the front pastedowns.

Some foxing, as usual.

Our copy is complete with all three engravings: a view of St Peter's in Rome and a plan of the remains of ancient Rome in the first volume, and Trajan's Column in the second.

It also includes a second state of the plan of the remains of ancient Rome, with slight variations...

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies on hollande, most limited deluxe issue.

Contemporary full red morocco, spine with four raised bands framed with black fillets, date gilt at foot, taupe morocco doublures, red silk endleaves, gilt fillets and dots to board edges, all edges gilt, slipcase, an elegant binding signed Favre-Petit-Mermet.

A fine copy, handsomely bound in full morocco with morocco doublures by Favre-Petit-Mermet.

First French edition, one of 16 copies printed on Imperial Japan paper, our copy unnumbered but correctly justified as "japon" beneath the limitation statement and at the foot of the spine, from the deluxe issue.

A rare and handsome copy.

First edition of this issue devoted entirely to dreams, one of 300 numbered copies on bibliophile wove paper, this copy out-of-series and without limitation statement.

A pleasing copy despite a very lightly sunned spine, of no real consequence.

Literary contributions by André Breton, Michel Leiris, Paul Eluard, Xavier Forneret, Gisèle Prassinos, Benjamin Péret...

Illustrated with works by Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy, Alexei Remizov, Giorgio de Chirico, André Masson, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Oscar Dominguez, Man Ray, Maurice Henry...

First edition on ordinary paper.

A crease to the lower right corner of the upper cover, a library shelf-mark to the upper left corner of the half-title page, which also bears, at its foot, a library stamp overprinted with the word "cancelled".

On the same half-title page, a signed autograph inscription by Alain: "A Monsieur Prulhières et vivent les lions ! Alain. Le 5 juillet 1935."

First illustrated edition, printed on alfa bouffant paper, one of the copies from the only issue after 50 copies on Japan paper and 100 on Arches.

Illustrated with 15 wood-engravings by Pierre Bonnard, including a vignette on the upper cover, a frontispiece, and 4 plates hors texte.

Contemporary grey half morocco over bands, spine faded and tooled in gilt with double and broad fillets, moiré and gilt paper-covered boards framed with a black rule and triple gilt fillets, matching moiré and gilt endpapers, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, an elegant unsigned Art Deco binding.

A handsome copy in an attractive binding.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Montval paper, the deluxe issue.
A small chip at the head of the spine, otherwise a pleasant copy.

Illustrated by Pierre Devaux.

First edition, one of 49 numbered copies on deluxe pure wove paper, the only deluxe paper issue.
A fine copy.

Edition limited to 100 numbered copies on laid paper.

Bradel binding in half vellum-style paper boards with corners, smooth spine very lightly toned, black date lettered at foot, blue paper-covered boards with a few small stains, endpapers partially foxed, pasted bookplate.

Original edition of Marcel Schwob's introduction and facsimile reproduction of the Stockholm manuscript.

First edition, one of 46 numbered copies on pure wove paper.

Minor tears at the head and foot of the spine, a pleasant copy with full margins.

First edition, one of 52 numbered copies on Holland paper, the deluxe issue.

A handsome copy.

First edition, one of the press review copies.
Trimmed copy, joints soiled and restored, stain to the lower cover.
Humorous signed autograph inscription by Paul Morand: "Cher Caracalla, j'apprends que vous n'avez jamais reçu mon Fouquet ; en juin dernier je vous l'envoyais avec ma fidèle pensée. Que le diable patafiole le facteur ! Je vous renouvelle ici ma très amicale sympathie. Morand."

First edition, without the mention “oeuvres complètes de Victor Hugo” (see Clouzot).

Contemporary red polished half calf bindings, spines slightly mellowed and decorated with four raised bands framed by gilt garland tools and gilt quintuple rules, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges.

Very slight rubbing to the spines, a pleasing copy, lacking the preliminary preface leaf, attractively bound in a contemporary Romantic-style binding.

First edition, one of the numbered copies on vélin d'archers, the only large paper issue.

First endpaper, half-title and title pages slightly shadowed, with a few pencil annotations and reading marks in the margins of some leaves.

Rare and pleasing copy.

First edition, one of 500 numbered copies on white vellum,  after 1 copy on Japan paper, 13 on Arches paper, and 22 on marsh vellum.
A pleasing copy.

First edition, one of 210 numbered copies on Sirène, the only large-paper copies.
A fine copy.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on velin alfa paper, the only large-paper copies.

Boards with light, marginal tanning; pleasant interior condition.

Autograph presentation inscription signed by François Nourissier to Maurice Marchaux.

First edition, one of 35 numbered copies on hollande paper, top-of-edition issue.

A very fine copy.

First edition on ordinary paper for the second volume; statement of 1000th edition on the first volume.

Minor foxing to the top edges.

A handsome set, housed in a white paper covered chemise and slipcase.

Exceptional presentation copies signed by Marcel Pagnol to Maurice Druon on each volume: "à Maurice Druon, écrivain véritable, hommage du romancier amateur, son ami, MarcelPagnol. 1958" [to Maurice Druon, true writer, homage from an amateur novelist, his friend, Marcel Pagnol] and "Cher Maurice, puisque ça te plaît, voilà la suite. Mais rassure-toi, il n'y en a plus qu'un ! affectueusement, Marcel." [Dear Maurice, since you liked it...

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Arches wove paper, the sole deluxe issue.

Spine slightly sunned.

A rare and pleasing copy.

First edition of the French translation, one of the ordinary issue copies, as no deluxe paper copies were produced.

A very good copy.

Signed autograph inscription from Richard Wright to Pierre Descaves.

First edition, one of 2,270 numbered copies printed on alfa paper, the only printing.
A pleasing copy despite small marginal tears to the wrappers.

First edition, one of 10 numbered copies on Alfama paper, the only deluxe paper issue apart from a few hors commerce copies also printed on Alfama.

Minor, unobtrusive traces of corner creasing to the wrappers.

A rare and pleasing copy.

First edition, one of 47 numbered copies on pure wove paper, the only deluxe issue.

A handsome copy.

First edition, one of 33 numbered copies on white Rivoli wove paper, the only deluxe issue.

Our copy is complete with the accompanying CD featuring excerpts from Huit quartiers de roture, radio broadcasts adapted from the work and aired on the Programme parisien in 1952.

The wrapper is illustrated with the reproduction of two postcards depicting the 19th and 20th arrondissements by Joseph Porphyre Pinchon, creator of Bécassine, taken from the series entitled "Les arrondissements de Paris illustrés en 20 cartes postales."

We are also including with our copy the complete set of 20 postcards, lacking only the original protective sleeve.

A handsome...

First edition, one of 35 numbered copies on Ingres d'Arches paper, this being one of 10 hors commerce copies.

Text established, with notes and preface by Jean-Pierre Barril; unpublished texts, letters and documents selected by Léon Aichelbaum and Jean-Pierre Barril.

A very fine copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.

A pleasing copy.

Signed autograph inscription from Yves Bonnefoy to François Erval.

First edition, one of the press service copies, no deluxe paper copies issued.

A dampstain to the lower edge of one textblock edge.

Precious signed autograph inscription from Casamayor: "à Jean Paul Sartre au nom de la réalité concrète avec la fidélité de Casamayor."

First edition, one of the ordinary issue, with no deluxe paper copies noted.

Small angular losses at the upper margins of the first leaves, paper occasionally brittle in the margins of certain leaves.

Signed autograph inscription from Rachilde to Léon Frapié.

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on featherweight wove paper, the only issue after 15 copies on Lana wove paper.

Illustrated with 2 original engravings by Ania Staritsky, signed by her, together with drawings by Elsabeth Hellens and Léopold Survage.

A handsome copy.

First edition.

Half green chagrin binding, flat spine with color restoration ruled in black and gilt, gilt frieze and date at foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved with restorations, binding of the period.

Presentation copy inscribed to Léon Richer.

Born into modest circumstances and having lost his father at an early age, Léon Richer founded in 1869 the weekly Droit des femmes, aimed at reforming women's legal rights, which enjoyed the renewed support of Victor Hugo: "I wholheartedly join in your useful endeavour. For forty years I have been pleading for the great social cause you devote...

First edition, one of 110 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe paper copies.

Frontispiece with a photographic portrait of Léon Blum.

A pleasant copy.

First edition of the French translation, for which no deluxe paper copies were issued.

A very slight loss to the head of the spine.

A rare and pleasing copy.

First edition of this work devoted to the oeuvre of Ania Staritsky.

Illustrated with an original work by Ania Staritsky on the cover.

A rare and very attractive copy, spine plain and unlettered, boards slightly and marginally sunned, without seriousness.

Copy enriched with an artist’s proof engraving, justified and signed by Ania Staritsky in pencil

First edition on standard paper.

Bradel binding in full moiré silk with a leaf pattern, smooth spine decorated with a gilt fleuron and gilt date at the foot, green morocco lettering piece, fore-edge and tail edges untrimmed, binding signed in blind on the upper pastedown [E.T.] Pierson, the Goncourt brothers' binder of choice.
Silk at the headcaps slightly rubbed, corners worn, light rubbing to the lettering piece.

A fine copy, with a few very faint fox spots and one paragraph marked with a pencilled marginal bracket at p. 61.

First edition of the French translation, one of 21 numbered copies on pur fil paper, deluxe issue.

Bradel binding in half blue percaline, smooth spine, floral motif, date and double gilt fillets at the foot, hazel morocco title label with some scuffing, marbled paper boards, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, contemporary binding.

The text by Friedrich Sieburg is followed by a letter from Bernard Grasset to the latter.

Fine dated and signed autograph inscription, from London, by Friedrich Sieburg to Monsieur de Fleuriau, then French ambassador in London: "... en le priant de ne voir dans ce livre que l'attrait que la France exerça sur son auteur...

First edition, for which no deluxe paper copies were issued.

A pleasant copy.

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.

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

A rare and handsome copy.

First edition, printed in a small number on Dutch paper.

Spine and covers lightly sunned, small tears to the spine, final endpapers browned.

Speeches by M. Chaumié, Anatole France and Abel Hermant.

Autograph inscription signed by Eugène Fasquelle to Marcel Batilliat, whose name he misspelled: "à M. Marcel Batillat."

The Symbolist novelist Marcel Batilliat was a close friend of Émile Zola and campaigned to preserve the memory of the author of the Rougon-Macquart cycle.

First edition, one of the press copies.

Paper browned as usual.

Signed autograph inscription from André Dhôtel to the philosopher Raymond Bayer.

First edition, one of 48 numbered copies on Lana vellum paper, the only deluxe paper issue.

A fine copy.

Warmly inscribed, dated and signed by Pierre Nora to a close friend named Françoise : "Pour toi, Françoise, de toujours à toujours. Pierre."

New edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Marais wove paper, the only deluxe paper issue.

A fine copy.

First edition, with no deluxe paper copies issued.

Spine and covers lightly and marginally sunned, as is often the case, with a small loss at the foot of the spine.

A scarce and pleasing copy, considering the poor quality of the paper.

First edition, one of 822 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the only deluxe paper issue after 109 reimposed copies.
A pleasing copy despite two small areas of sunning at the head and foot of the spine.

First edition of the French translation, one of 75 numbered copies on ivory offset paper, our copy one of the few hors commerce copies numbered in pencil by Antoni Tapies, the only deluxe paper issue.

A very small stain to the upper edge, otherwise a fine copy complete with its illustrated dust jacket.

Illustrated.

Handwritten signature of Antoni Tapies at the colophon.

First edition of the French translation, one of 1,000 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the only issue with 10 copies on Auvergne paper.
Frontispiece with an original portrait of Blaise Cendrars by Riera, covers illustrated with an original lithograph by Orfeo Tamburi.
Spine and boards slightly and marginally sunned, as usually.

First edition of an important work by Charles Sorel, historiographer of France and novelist, in which he surveys with severity and wit the literary production of his time, which he considered overly given to fiction.

 Complete with its eagle headpieces.

Contemporary full mottled brown calf, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt compartments and gilt title, gilt roll on the board edges, red mottled...

First edition, of which no deluxe paper copies were issued.

A pleasing copy.

Signed autograph inscription from Georges Didi-Huberman to a couple of friends named Dominique and Danielle: "... cette trace d'année ombre. Je n'oublie pas vos paroles de coeur..."

First edition printed in 100 numbered copies on wove paper, this copy unnumbered.

Rare and fine copy.

First edition richly illustrated with reproductions of works by Francis Bacon in the second volume.

Text by Gilles Deleuze for the first volume.

The slipcase is lacking in our copy.

Spine and boards slightly and marginally sunned, as usual.

Inscribed copy signed by Gilles Deleuze to the art critic Gilbert Lascault in the first volume.

Definitive edition.

Spine slightly sunned and a little cocked, a few spots to the boards.

Signed autograph inscription from Vercors to François Triboudeau.

First edition, one of the numbered copies on offset paper, the only issue after 42 copies on Arches vellum.

A pleasing copy.

First edition of the French translation, one of the numbered copies reserved for the friends, collaborators and subscribers of "Lettres Nouvelles".

Spine very slightly sunned, a pleasant copy.

First edition, one of 70 numbered copies on Holland paper, deluxe issue after 30 on Japan paper.

A handsome copy.

Illustrated work, with a frontispiece portrait of Joseph Delteil by Mariette Lydis.

New edition, one of 26 numbered copies on Montval paper, the head of the edition.

A pleasing copy.

Fine autograph inscription signed by Colette to Mr P.A. Crozier: "... en souvenir de maint envoi de beaux fruits ; n'est-ce pas dire que je gagne à l'échange ? Les fruits de mon jardin sont de sec papier... Colette."

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Arches wove paper, the only deluxe paper issue.
A fine copy despite a few spots of foxing in the right margin of the first free endpaper.

First edition, one of the numbered copies on alfa paper reserved for the press.

One joint slightly pinched along its length, otherwise a pleasant copy.

Autograph inscription signed by Colette to Michel Corday.

Third edition, one of 200 numbered copies on handmade wove paper, the only large-paper issue. 

Bound in red half-shagreen, spine with five raised bands framed by gilt dotted fillets and gilt double fillets, marbled paper boards, sprinkled top edge, pastedowns and endpapers in marbled paper, original front wrapper preserved, lower edge and fore-edge uncut.

Corners with light wear.

First edition, one of 35 numbered copies on vélin Rivoli, the only deluxe paper issue.

A very fine copy.

First editions in mimeographed form of each of the fascicles (cf. Cuénot 312 & Cuénot 333).

Modern pink marbled paper Bradel binding, smooth spine, some rubbing with small losses of paper to the spine and along the edges of the boards; original wrappers preserved for the first fascicle.

Bound after the first text are: Trois Contes comme Benson (only Tales 2 and 3 are present: L'Ostensoir et La Custode) and En regardant un cyclotron (an offprint from Recherches et Débats, April 1953).

A rare collection.

Fourth edition.

A pleasing copy.

Introduction by Harry T. Moore.

Presentation inscription signed by Anaïs Nin to the writer Christiane Baroche: "my friend love, Lawrence and i was the first woman i write abour him. Anaïs Nin."

New edition, one of 65 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe paper issue.

A fine copy.

First edition, one of 12 copies numbered on Montval laid paper, the deluxe issue.

Light foxing to the upper cover and endpapers, with a small nick to the lower right corner of the rear cover.

First edition, one of 42 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe paper issue.

Minor, unobtrusive foxing to the foot of the upper cover, otherwise a pleasing copy.

Preface by Thierry Maulnier.

First edition on ordinary paper with all the features of the first printing. Includes its publisher’s band expertly restored and the publisher’s catalogue at rear.

An exceptionally fresh copy, preserved with its rare red publisher’s band quoting Molly’s phrase “C’est le voyageur solitaire qui va le plus loin” (“he travels farthest who travels alone”, translation by John H. P. Marks) followed by this text on the verso:

 

“One...

First edition on standard paper.

Spine very slightly sunned, without significance.

Rare signed autograph inscription from Fereydoun Hoveyda to Henri Brunet.

First edition, printed in 300 copies on wove vellum.

Contemporary full caramel calf binding, smooth spine lavishly gilt with decorative tools, upper joint split at the head, upper cap shaved, brown morocco title label, gilt roll tooling to the caps, triple gilt fillet frame with gilt corner fleurons on the boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt roll tooling to the board edges, rubbed corners; binding of the period.

Bookseller’s description label pasted onto a flyleaf, a few pencil annotations in the margins of certain paragraphs, occasional foxing.

New illustrated edition with plates hors-texte.

Bindings in half red shagreen with corners, spines with four raised bands gilt with dotted tooling and decorated with double gilt compartments; some rubbing to the spines; two water stains, to the left margin of the upper board of the first volume and to the right margin of the lower board of the second volume; a few marks to the corners; boards of cat’s-eye paper framed with double gilt fillets; marbled endpapers and pastedowns.

At the head of the first volume, a signed autograph presentation inscription by Lazare-Hippolyte-Sadi Carnot to General Henri Joseph Brugère.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Renage vellum, the deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

First in-12 edition, published one year after the exceedingly rare first edition.
Uniform half green shagreen bindings, spines slightly darkened with four raised bands, decorated with blind fillets, gilt titles at the foot of the spines, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, bookplate pasted to the rear pastedown of the first volume.
Minor rubbing to some boards, two small tears at the foot of the boards of the first volume.
An attractive set, virtually free of foxing and preserved in a uniform binding.