W.H. Auden Collected Poems, Custom Binding by the Sims Bindery

Binding Details:  Fine contemporary binding by the Sims Bindery of three-quarter burgundy morocco leather over hand-marbled paper covered boards with raised bands to the spine, gilt lines and titles, and central gilt motifs to the spine. Single gilt lines to the boards and corners. There are plain cream endpapers. The Sims Bindery stamp appears on the rear flyleaf. Laid into the book is a signed card from Andrew Sims stating that the book was bound by the Sims Bindery. 

Book Details: This is the first edition, first printing of Collected Poems by W.H. Auden that was edited by the poet's literary executor, Edward Mendelson, who has explained the editorial method in a succinct preface. In their review of the book, Goodreads wrote, “Between 1927 and his death in 1973, W. H. Auden endowed poetry in the English language with a new face. Or rather, with several faces, since his work ranged from the political to the religious, from the urbane to the pastoral, from the mandarin to the invigoratingly plain-spoken. This collection presents all the poems Auden wished to preserve, in the texts that received his final approval. It includes the full contents of his previous collected editions along with all the later volumes of his shorter poems. Together, these works display the astonishing range of Auden's voice and the breadth of his concerns, his deep knowledge of the traditions he inherited, and his ability to recast those traditions in modern times.”

The book measures 9.5” x 6.5”, 696 pages.

Condition Report:  The binding is in FINE condition. Internally, the book is very clean with no signs of previous ownership. Overall, this is a beautiful binding that houses the poetry of one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century.

Photographs of the binding, binders stamp, and some examples of the contents from the book appear in the photo section of the listing.