Philip Larkin | A remarkable collection of 15 volumes inscribed by the poet to his secretary Betty Mackereth, plus related volumes and ephemera from Betty's private collection

Philip Larkin

A remarkable collection of inscribed volumes PRESENTED BY THE POET TO BETTY MACKERETH, LARKIN'S LONG-SERVING "LOAF-HAIRED SECRETARY", LOVER, AND CONFIDANTE, plus related volumes and ephemera, comprising:

(i) Philip Larkin. A Girl In Winter. London: Faber, 1965. INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BETTY MACKERETH ("To Betty from | the author, | Whose life she brightened. 11.2.65"), 8vo (181 x 120mm), original wrappers, inscription slightly dampstained, several gatherings loose, upper wrapper detached, backstrip frayed;

(ii) Philip Larkin. The North Ship. London: Faber, 1966. INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BETTY MACKERETH ("To Betty | for her Texas Collection | Admiringly — Philip"), 8vo (216 x 136mm), original dark blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, dust-jacket, inscription and front free endpaper slightly toned, dust-jacket slightly toned with a couple of small closed tears;

(iii) Philip Larkin. All What Jazz: A Record Diary. London: Faber, 1970. FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED TO BETTY MACKERETH ("To Betty | Who's heard more than enough — | Philip | 29.i.1970"), 8vo (197 x 128 mm), original brown cloth, spine lettered in gilt, dust-jacket, minor wear to dust-jacket [with, loosely inserted:] 2 typed A4 pages of “Corrections for paperback edition” of All What Jazz, stapled together, folded, staple rusting

(iv) Philip Larkin, editor. The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973. FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BETTY MACKERETH ("To Betty | remembering all her | help in producing | this book | and with affectionate | gratitude for her | patience towards | its compiler | Philip | 20.iii.73"), 8vo (215 x 130mm), original blue cloth gilt;

(v) Philip Larkin. High Windows. London: Faber, 1974. FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BETTY MACKERETH ("For Betty | — 10 years' hard | with everlasting and affectionate gratitude. | Philip"), 8vo (216 x 136 mm), original light blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, dust-jacket, light discolouration to boards

(vi) Philip Larkin, contributor. Phoenix: A Poetry Magazine… Nos. 11/12. Autumn & Winter 1973/4. INSCRIBED BY PHILIP LARKIN TO BETTY MACKERETH ON THE INSIDE FRONT COVER (“To darling Elizabeth | from | Philip”). 4to (210 x 162mm), original printed wrappers, small closed tears to title-page around staples

(vii) Philip Larkin, compiler. Poetry Supplement... for the Poetry Book Society Christmas '74. London: John Roberts Press, 1974. INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BETTY MACKERETH ("For Betty | Whose typescript was more beautiful than this print | And without whose concentration it wd have been full of mistakes | from | The Editor"), 8vo (203 x 128 mm), original salmon pink printed wrappers, wrappers laminated;

(viii) Alan Brownjohn. Writers & their Work: Philip Larkin. London: Longman, 1975. INSCRIBED BY PHILIP LARKIN TO BETTY MACKERETH (“For Betty, | an introduction! | Philip | 9.iii.76”). 8vo (212 x 138 mm). Photographic frontispiece, original printed wrappers;

(ix) F.V.S. Foundation Hamburg. Presentation of the Shakespeare Prize 1976 to Philip A. Larkin… on 20th April 1976. [Hamburg, 1976]. INSCRIBED BY PHILIP LARKIN TO BETTY MACKERETH (“For Betty | Who lived through | it all! | Philip Larkin | Christmas 1976”). 8vo (206 x 144 mm.), original wrappers, laminated; 

(ix) Philip Larkin, contributor. Recent English Poetry. GY, HF og SEM Skoleradioen 1976. [Copenhagen:] Danmarks Radio, 1976. INSCRIBED BY PHILIP LARKIN TO BETTY MACKERETH: ("From | Felix Larkinovitch | (p. 56) | to Betty") . 8vo (210 x 140 mm), original printed wrappers; 

(x) The Brynmor Jones Library 1929-1979. A short account. Leeds: W.S. Maney & Son, 1979. INSCRIBED BY PHILIP LARKIN TO BETTY MACKERETH ("For Betty | Who helped build it — | from | the Author | 22.ii.79") . 8vo (210 x 146 mm), photographic illustrations, pictorial wrappers, [and:] (xi) Introduction to the Brynmor Jones Library to mark the opening of the West Extension… 16 December 1970. [No place, 1970]. 8vo (207 x 148 mm), pictorial illustrations, printed wrappers, upper wrapper slightly creased

(xii) Hull Choral Union. Souvenir Programme with full Libretti…. Hedges/Larkin: Bridge for the Living… City Hall, Hull… 11th April, 1981. Hull: R. Richardson, 1981. SIGNED BY PHILIP LARKIN ON TITLE-PAGE. 8vo (247 x 153 mm), original printed wrappers

(xiii) Anthony Thwaite, ed. Larkin at Sixty. London: Faber, 1982. INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR: ("For my loaf-haired secretary, | Whose tolerance, patience, | efficiency, kindness, | humour, etc etc etc | have made twenty five | of the sixty almost bearable: | with love from | Philip | 6.v.82") . 8vo (212 x 132 mm), original grey cloth, spine lettered in red, printed dust-jacket

(xiv) Philip Larkin. Required Writing. Miscellaneous Pieces 1955-1982. London: Faber, 1983. FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BETTY MACKERETH ("To Betty, | Who took the prose | with the verse — | With everlasting affection | and gratitude: | Philip | 31.10.83"). FIRST EDITION, 8vo (198 x 128 mm), original pictorial wrappers, wrappers slightly spotted;

(xv) John Betjeman. Betjeman’s Cornwall. London: John Murray, 1984. INSCRIBED BY PHILIP LARKIN TO BETTY MACKERETH (“For Betty, in memory of all | her holidays spent away | from her old ex-poet friend — | Love from Philip | 2.viii.84”). 4to (214 x 159 mm), illustrations, pictorial wrappers;

(xvi) Philip Larkin. All What Jazz: A Record Diary. London: Faber, 1985. INSCRIBED BY PHILIP LARKIN TO BETTY MACKERETH ("For Betty | (that music-lover) | with love — | Philip"). 8vo (197 x 129 mm). Original pictorial wrappers, wrappers slightly spotted;

(xvii) Plastic wallet of ephemera relating to memorial events for Philip Larkin, including: 1 page note in ballpoint pen in Betty Mackereth’s hand dated 2nd January 1986, listing proposed readings by contemporary poets (including Andrew Motion, Harold Pinter, Douglas Dunn, Kingsley Amis, and Seamus Heaney), likely in connection with a memorial event; 1 page carbon copy of a typed letter by Betty Mackereth to Head of the University of Hull Drama Department Donald Roy, dated 19 May 1986, announcing her intention to read “Toads Revisited” at a memorial service for Larkin at Middleton Hall, University of Hull, on 30th June 1986; 2 copies of “Philip Larkin: A Thanksgiving”, the order of service for the 30th June 1986 memorial at the University of Hull; 2 photocopies of “Toads Revisited”, one annotated by Betty Mackereth (possibly in preparation for reading at the University of Hull memorial service for Larkin)

(xviii-xxx) Betty Mackereth’s copies of 13 further volumes by or about Philip Larkin, each 8vo, including a copy of Anthony Thwaite, ed. Philip Larkin: Letters to Monica with ownership inscription of Betty Mackereth, full list of titles available upon request;

(xxxi) Plastic wallet of miscellaneous later ephemera collected by Betty Mackereth, relating to Philip Larkin