THE PENGUIN NEW WRITING 27 (Stephen Spender, Edith Sitwell, Osbert Sitwell, William Sansom, Louis MacNeice, C. Day Lewis et al)

First impression of the true first edition, published in April 1946. Some contributions were specially written for this issue of Penguin New Writing, and are the first publication in the UK, including William Sansom and Stephen Spender. With colour and photogravure illustrations - Issues 27-30 have colour illustrations including work by Robert Medley, Michael Ayrton, Laurence Gowing in this issue. ***A very good copy in pale-green colour-illustrated thin card covers. The covers are clean, with just light rubbing and creasing commensurate with age and handling - there is a scuff to the front cover where a sticker has been removed, and some light smudges / finger marks on the back cover (please see scans). The top outer corner of the page block has been slightly bumped, with slight creasing to the page corner tips. Bottom edge of spine slightly rubbed and scuffed, and the spine edges have some rubbing and surface loss, but with no loss to the fragile spine covering. Internally also very good with no previous ownership inscriptions and no internal foxing. Inside covers slightly browned. No creases or tears - other than the aforementioned slight creasing to the top corner tips. Paper stock lightly tanned as usual. ***180mm x120mm. 192 pages. ***Contents: William Sansom: How Claeys Died, Edith Sitwell: Casket Letter No. 2, Annabel Farjeon: The Lady in the Stone, Louis MacNiece (sic): Three Poems, Frank Sargeson: When the Wind Blows - I, C. Day Lewis: Two Songs, J. Maclaren-Ross: Second Lieutenant, Stephen Spender: Meeting, Jim Phelan: Life Line, Eric White: Death, Is it You?, W. F. M. Stewart: Nocturne, John Heath-Stubbs: Sestina, Allen Curnow: Landfall in Unknown Seas, Radio Critic: Education on the Air, Osbert Sitwell: Wilfred Owen, John Hampson: Movements in the Underground - I, Stephen Potter: London Theatre: 1918 and 1945, From a Painter's Notebook - IV, A. C. Ritchie: Indefinite Leave, Bernard Evslin: My Right Leg Was Germany, Norman Swallow: All This is Ended. New Writing was a popular literary periodical in book format founded in 1936 by John Lehmann and committed to anti-fascism. During the Second World War, in 1940, with New Writing's future uncertain, John Lehmann wrote New Writing in Europe which was published by Penguin Books, a critical summary of the writers of the 1930s. ***Allen Lane of Penguin Books managed to secure paper for a new series which became Penguin New Writing, a monthly book-magazine, this time produced as a paperback. Penguin New Writing ran to 40 issues in total, surviving until 1950. ***First impression of the true first edition of John Lehmann's Penguin New Writing Issue 27, published in April 1946. A very good copy, albeit with the above-mentioned faults - of interest to collectors of collectable Penguin paperbacks. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.