Wales Periodical Number 1. Summer 1937. Including Dylan Thomas: Prologue to an Adventure. Glyn Jones: Scene. John Pritchard: Poem / The Visitor. Nigel Heseltine: Poems. Ken Etheridge: Abstract / Mask / Spring Fragment. Idris Davies: Interlude / Sonnet / Renaissance. LL. Wyn Griffith: Madam Rumour / Februrary Night. Vernon Watkins: Griefs of the Sea / Triton Time. Charles Fisher: Poem. Keidrich Rhys: Cartoon done in Something will be done week / Socialites. Aneirin AP Gwynn: Review of 'No Errata : No High Spots ~ The development of Welsh Poetry' by H I Bell. Glynn Jones: Review of 'A Time to Laugh' by Rhys Davies.

Dylan Thomas/Glyn Jones/John Pritchard/Nigel Heseltine/Nigel Heseltine/Ken Etheridge/Idris Davies/LL. Wyn Griffith/Vernon Watkins/Charles Fisher/Keidrich Rhys/Aneirin AP Gwynn

Publication Date: 1937

About this Item

WALES No. 1 Summer 1937. Includes Dylan Thomas: Prologue to an Adventure. Glyn Jones: Scene. John Pritchard: Poem / The Visitor. Nigel Heseltine: Poems Ken Etheridge: Abstract / Mask / Spring Fragment. Idris Davies: Interlude / Sonnet / Renaissance. LL. Wyn Griffith: Madam Rumour / Februrary Night. Vernon Watkins: Griefs of the Sea / Triton Time. Charles Fisher: Poem. Keidrich Rhys: Cartoon done in Something will be done week / Socialites. Aneirin AP Gwynn: Review of 'No Errata : No High Spots ~ The development of Welsh Poetry' by H I Bell. Glynn Jones: Review of 'A Time to Laugh' by Rhys Davies. 'Prologue to an Adventure' is a surreal recasting of The Pilgrim's Progress and ostensibly describing a young man's road to perdition. The first mention in Thomas's correspondence of the work is in an undated letter to his fellow poet, A.E. Trick, written sometime in the summer of 1935: 'In half an hour or less I'm going to work on my new story, "Daniel Dom". It's based on the Pilgrim's Progress, but tells of the adventures of Anti-Christian in his travels from the City of Zion to the City of Destruction. I've been commissioned to write it, but I won't be given any money until the first half a dozen parts or chapters are completed. The agents are rather afraid of blasphemous obscenity (and well they might be), and want to see how clean the half dozen parts or chapters are before they advance me anything. The poor fish don't realise that I shall cut the objectionable bits when I send them the synopsis & first chapters, & then put them immediately back'. The piece was first published as the leading item ? with the title and first few words appearing on the cover ? of the first issue of Keidrych Rhys's Modernist periodical Wales, in the summer of 1937. It was reprinted by Henry Miller's publishers, the Obelisk Press of Paris which, in Ferris's words, 'specialised in erotica and avant-garde novels (often the same thing) that weren't acceptable in London', in the Christmas 1938 issue of their magazine Delta. It was collected in book form in The World I Breath (1939), described by Thomas in 1953 as 'all very young & violent and romantic', and posthumously in Adventures in the Skin Trade (1955). The Wales edition of the story in the summer of 1937 has become standard and is the only printing referenced in Thomas? Collected Stories and Early Prose Writings (both edited by Walford Davies). Staple bound card covers. 16 x 24 cm. 31 pages plus advert page. Covers are a little creased and discoloured with small tear to fore edge. Staples rusted with associated staining, though binding is sound and contents are clean & complete.

Seller Inventory # 000684

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Wales Periodical Number 1. Summer 1937. Including Dylan Thomas: Prologue to an Adventure. Glyn Jones: Scene. John Pritchard: Poem / The Visitor. Nigel Heseltine: Poems. Ken Etheridge: Abstract / Mask / Spring Fragment. Idris Davies: Interlude / Sonnet / Renaissance. LL. Wyn Griffith: Madam Rumour / Februrary Night. Vernon Watkins: Griefs of the Sea / Triton Time. Charles Fisher: Poem. Keidrich Rhys: Cartoon done in Something will be done week / Socialites. Aneirin AP Gwynn: Review of 'No Errata...
• Publication Date: 1937
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket