About this Item
2004, Very Good Condition, Hardcover + dustjacket, 318pp + Signed (by the author) typed letters, handwritten card etc
A remarkable association copy of Jon Wynne Tysons memoir Finding the Words, enriched by a small but coherent cache of original correspondence from the author to the bibliophile and rare book dealer Rick Gekoski. The material, preserved loosely within the book, offers an intimate glimpse into Wynne Tysons thoughts during the final active years of his publishing life and reveals his tentative, often emotional reflections on the future of the Centaur Press archive.
The earliest piece is a two sided handwritten postcard dated 5 January 2007, sent from Keeles Bookshop in Chichester. Wynne Tysons note is warm and teasing, mentioning Tess and praising Gekoskis most recent catalogue as a collector?s piece in itself. The tone is affectionate, but beneath it lies the first hint of a deeper concern: the question of who might one day catalogue his own papers.
Two typed letters follow, dated 12 and 22 January 2007. In the first, Wynne Tyson discusses Tolkiens Gown before drifting into more revealing territory: the state of his archive, the value of certain holdings, the Spark material, and the usual publishing nonsense that had shaped his career. The second letter is more hesitant, almost apologetic, as he revisits the subject of archives and expresses interest in seeing Gekoskis catalogues before getting up to anything. Together, the letters form a quiet, candid record of a publisher circling the idea of parting with the remains of his lifes work.
Inserted alongside the correspondence is a newspaper clipping of A.N. Wilsons World of Books column, annotated by Wynne Tyson in his characteristically dry manner, and two pieces of Centaur Press ephemera from the early 1990s. These fragments complete the portrait: a publisher reflecting on his legacy, gathering representative pieces of his output, and confiding in a colleague whose judgement he clearly valued.
The fate of the Centaur Press archive remains uncertain; no institutional acquisition has been recorded, and no unified dispersal has surfaced on the market. This makes the present group all the more significant. It captures a moment when Wynne Tyson was actively considering the future of his papers and reveals the personal dynamics behind that process.
A compelling and highly personal ensemble, offering rare insight into the private world of Jon Wynne Tyson and his relationship with one of the most respected figures in the modern rare book trade. A unique survival.
Seller Inventory # ABE-1774713623109
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