North [inscribed first edition]

One of Heaney’s major poetic achievements inscribed to a friend in the year of publication with a line of dialogue about poetic inspiration which the poet borrowed from Shakespeare.

First edition, first impression inscribed on the half title: ‘for Dennis Saunders with every good wish “Our poesy is as a gum which oozes From when ‘tis nourished...” Seamus Heaney 18th September 1975’. Heaney favoured this line occasionally in interviews in the 1970s, once telling an audience at Harvard, ‘I think it’s really everything.’

Bound in publisher’s blue boards, gilt spine lettering, small push to top corner of upper cover. Uneven browning to endpapers and a little to the title page. The jacket is very good, not price-clipped, similar browning to inner flaps, lightly faded down spine.

Heaney inscribed this book for his friend Dennis Saunders who ran poetry conferences for teachers in Kent in the 1950s-1980, inviting Seamus Heaney to several of these events and becoming friends in the course of these convivial times spent together. This is one of several Heaney-inscribed book that we are offering, each with a more affectionate and intimate message from the poet to Dennis and his wife Pam. In 1973 Heaney contributed ‘A Flourish for the Prince of Denmark’ to the anthology Poems for Shakespeare 2. To find a written quotation in Heaney’s hand from Shakespeare is most unusual.

Brandes & Durkan A12a