James Bond First Editions

Two autograph letters, signed, plus correspondence.

[Ian Fleming / Bondiana] CONNOLLY, Cyril (1903-1974).

London and Sussex. 1968. [Literary correspondence] One memo page (11 x 10cm), Thomson House, London (Sunday Times); one page (18 x 14cm) on blue notepaper, Lewes, Sussex. Two hand-written Connolly letters and five sheets of retained copy letters (Clodd). Correspondence between English literary critic Cyril Connolly and Irish publisher Alan Clodd, chiefly discussing pseudonymous pieces which prove to be the work of the first Mrs. T.S.Eliot, and also expressing Clodd's growing alarm at the fate of a copy of 'Bond Strikes Camp', which he had sent to be inscribed. Minor handling; near fine. The James Bond short story in question was written by Connolly with the permission of his office-mate and literary companion Ian Fleming, both of whom were Old Etonians. In 1940, Connolly founded the influential literary magazine Horizon, a journal which heralded Fleming's first major piece of writing (on Jamiaca) in 1947. From 1952 Connolly was the chief book reviewer for the Sunday Times, where Fleming worked as Foreign Manager. Curiously, Clodd, like Ian Fleming,was a notable book collector, and his 'lost' copy of 'Bond Strikes Camp' was almost certainly one of the rare editions limited to 50 copies. The poet T.S. Eliot, who is discussed in Clodd's letters, shared a flat with John Hayward, a co-director with Fleming of The Book Collector ! Item #72270

Ex-Adrian Harrington Ltd, July 2008.

Price: £450.00