MACLAREN-ROSS, J. ~ The Nine Men of Soho.

FIRST UK PRINTING. Allan Wingate, London: 1946.

8vo., bright red cloth, lettered typographically in gilt to backstrip; together in the pictorial dustwrapper designed by John Banting, printed in purple and red; THE BOOK a little bruised at spine tips, with some spotting to the upper edge and end leaves; THE WRAPPER very good, with some light even shelfwear and some chipping to the ends of folds and spine tips, the latter up to .5cm in depth, slightly affecting the lettering. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First UK edition, first printing. A series of twelve short stories on subjects as diverse as love affairs, alcoholism and bigamy, with the final story 'My father was born in Havana', describing the youth of John Lambden Ross, who was part-Scottish, part-Cuban. Many of the tales were inspired by Julian's own bohemian youth, living as a young man in Soho and Fitzrovia. Maclaren-Ross's first break was with the short story 'A Bit of a Smash in Madras', which was published in 'Horizon' in 1940. Horizon continued to publish his work throughout the war, and short sketches by Maclaren-Ross, many of them satirical, began to appear in other publications including 'Penguin New Writing' and 'English Story'. After being imprisoned for desertion from the army, he later went on to work with Dylan Thomas as a scriptwriter on propaganda documentaries, and then became a literary critic for the TLS. The present title preceded his first novel Of Love and Hunger (1947). It also coincided with a period of homelessness, drug use, and further prison terms. He died young, at the age of 52, likely caused by his years of alcoholism, amphetamine-taking, and stress. John Banting was a surrealist artist who first gained popularity after his dust jacket designs appeared for Virginia and Leonard Woolf's Hogarth Press during the 1920s. Like the author, he also worked with Dylan Thomas during the war, predominantly as an art director for the Ministry of Information's Strand Films unit, and it is possible that the author and artist crossed paths during this time. Scarce with the Banting dustwrapper in such collectible condition.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good
JACKET: Very Good