Wilfred Owen | Poems, London, 1920, first edition, inscribed by Edith Sitwell

Wilfred Owen 

Poems. London: Chatto & Windus, 1920

FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY EDITH SITWELL, 8vo, half-title, frontispiece, original cloth, lacking the scarce dust-jacket, endleaves slightly toned

The author's first collection, posthumously published. Inscribed by the de facto (but uncredited) editor of the book, Edith Sitwell.: "For Joseph Cohen who protects this great poet. In memory of a most happy evening, the 9th of April 1957, from Edith Sitwell". Sassoon had insisted that Owen had wanted him to edit the book, but in January 1920 he had to go to New York, and gave the material he had and what was supplied by Owen's mother to Edith Sitwell. He later criticised her for errors in the editing. Cohen was a professor at Tulane and author of Journey to the Trenches, the 1975 biography of Isaac Rosenberg. He also wrote the earlier (1966) speculative biographical booklet Owen Agonistes. Apart from a copy inscribed by Owen's mother, this is perhaps the only association copy offered for sale. An officer from October 1915 to November 1918, Owen was killed a week before the Armistice, aged 25. An excellent copy lacking the scarce dust-jacket.

LITERATURE

Keynes B2