IF ON A WINTER'S NIGHT A TRAVELLER

First UK edition. Advance review issue. Signed by the author. Original, American issue yellow cloth and red paper covered boards with black titles to the spine, in the UK issue proof state dustwrapper. A near very good copy, the binding clean with a couple of small marks and some fading to the red boards, the corners rubbed and bumped. The contents, with a thin brown mark (coffee splash?) to the closed fore-edge of the text block, which bleeds into the blank margin of 5 pages, are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the rubbed, nicked and creased dustwrapper that was at some point folded down the spine (possibly to use as a page marker) resulting in a vertical crease. Not price-clipped (£7.95 net to the front flap).

Inscribed by the author in blue ink on the half title "for Patchie [sic] / a souvenir / of a hard interview / in hot summer days / Italo Calvino / Roccamare, July 19, 1985". The recipient Patchy Wheatley, was the director and producer of the televised monthly literary magazine series 'Bookmark', presented by Ian Hamilton. Running to three seasons, the first episode of season three featured 'Meeting Mr Palomar', an interview with the reclusive Italian author talking about shyness, silence and the art of fiction. The program aired on BBC Two on 26th September 1985, a week after the Italo Calvino's unexpected death, following a stroke. The book is an unusual hybrid of the American and English issue, comprising the second printing sheets and binding of the first American edition, with a proof state of the UK issue Secker and Warburg dustwrapper (priced £7.95 rather than £6.95 to the lower front flap). We suspect this to be an advance state of the UK first edition, possibly for review.