William Golding

A first edition, first printing of William Golding's Lord of the Flies, accompanied by a first paperback edition of the same, inscribed by Golding.

• Sold as a set of 2 volumes.
• William Golding (British).
• London: Faber, 1954.
• First edition, first printing: White titles on red cloth, in the second issue dust wrapper (reviews to both flaps).
• First Faber paperback: Signed to the front endpaper without dedication by Golding; above, is the name of his close friend, John Jones.

Both books were the property of John and Jean Jones.

John and Jean Jones were close friends with Golding. The couple were prominent members of the mid-20th century Oxford literary scene, which also included J.R.R. Tolkien and Iris Murdoch. John was an eminent academic, a Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and served as the University’s Professor of Poetry from 1978 to 1983. He was a literary critic and a respected figure in the academic community. Jean was a painter and artist. She often painted the landscapes of Devon, which provided an escape from the intense academic life in Oxford. Though she painted a portrait of William Golding and had a solo exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in 1980, her work did not achieve the same recognition as her literary friends during her lifetime. The Jean Jones Estate was established in 2019 to research and promote her life and work. Golding purchased one of Jean Jones’ paintings, and after her death, this work was in the possession of the Golding estate. Their correspondence and the relationships within this literary circle are documented in biographies and other materials related to their lives.