IN THE DITCH

Second UK edition. Hardcover issue. Publisher's review copy, with review slip loosely laid in. Original black cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in the Carole Hughes illustrated dustwrapper. An excellent near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth bright and fresh. The contents are toned to the paper-stock and have the pencilled ownership signature, dated 2nd Oct 1980, of James Booth (former Professor of English at the University of Hull and the biographer, editor and former colleague of Philip Larkin; he has also written about Nigerian literature and culture) to the front endpaper, with his notes to the margins and underlinings in pencil throughout. Complete with the very lightly rubbed and creased original dustwrapper which is faintly toned to the spine and rear panel. Not price-clipped (£4.95 on the front flap). A nice copy with an interesting academic provenance.

A semi-autobiographical novel about a young Nigerian single mother living in poverty in London. Originally serialised in The New Statesman and first published in book form in 1972 by Barrie and Jenkins. This second edition (or re-issue) was published simultaneously in paperback and hardback, the hardback issue is quite scarce.