Fry, Christopher ~ The Lady’s Not For Burning : Signed by the Author

FIRST UK PRINTING : Oxford University Press, London : 1949

The First UK printing published by the Oxford University Press, London in 1949. Small 8vo., green cloth lettered in gilt to backstrip; in the unclipped wrapper (6s. net) printed in blue and red with decorative flame borders and devices to upper panel and spine; The BOOK is a near-fine copy, slight mottling to the upper edge of the text block and offsetting to end-papers; otherwise clean; the WRAPPER is Very Good, save for losses to the spine ends and the tips of folds; extending up to 2cm in depth with a little loss to the author's name at head; some toning, particularly to the spine and folds. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. The book has been signed (without dedication) by the author to the lower front blank end-paper. Set in the middle ages, The Lady's not for Burning is perhaps Fry's best-known work, a romantic comedy set in the middle ages which was written to reflect the world's "exhaustion and despair" after the end of WWII. Fry was a pacifist and a conscientious objector during the war, and was commissioned to write the play by Alec Clunes, manager of the Arts Theatre in London, who also starred in the leading role. Released to great success, the play helped to cement Fry's reputation as somewhat of a tour de force in the world of theatre during the 1940s and 50s, and upon its release it later transferred to the West End where it was headed by John Gielgud, Richard Burton and Claire Bloom. Later it moved to Broadway, where it it received the New York Drama Critics Circle award as Best Foreign Play. Perhaps most famously, it was the title of this play which inspired Margaret Thatcher's proclamation at a 1980 Conservative Party Conference: "You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning!"

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Very Good