THE TWELVE WORDS OF THE GIPSY

First edition. Signed and inscribed by the translator, Theodore Stephanides. Original printed card wrappers with titles in black to the upper cover and spine. All edges untrimmed, with several pages unopened throughout. A better than very good copy, the binding square and firm, with a little rubbing and creasing to the extremities and some toning to the cover edges and spine. The contents, with mild toning to the paper stock, are otherwise clean throughout and without previous owners' inscriptions or stamps.

Signed and inscribed by Theodore Stephanides in black ink to the front free endpaper "To William Cookson / with best wishes, / Theodore Stephanides / London, May 1974". The first edition of Stephanides and Katsimbalis' translation of Palamas' poetical work, first published in Greek in 1907. Theodore Stephanides (1896-1983) was a Greek-British doctor and polymath, known as a naturalist, biologist, astronomer, poet, writer and translator, although is perhaps best remembered today as the friend and mentor of Gerald Durrell. Stephanides was notably depicted by Durrell in his most famous work, My Family and Other Animals, as well as in Prospero's Cell by Lawrence Durrell, The Colossus of Maroussias by Henry Miller, and numerous film and television productions. His translations of the work of Palamas were chief amongst his efforts to promote Greek poetry.