The Dream of Jake Hopkins : Signed By The Author

8vo., orange cloth, lettered in gilt to backstrip; the striking wrapper (7s. 6d.) featuring artwork by John Elwyn artwork by John Elwyn; THE BOOK with endpapers lightly offset, a couple of small spots to the outer edge of text-block; the WRAPPER marginally toned, with some sporadic spotting and the odd small stain; a near Fine copy. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First edition, sole UK printing of the author's second collection of poetry, this example inscribed by Jones in blue biro to the title page : 'With all good wishes/ Glyn Jones/ Dydd Gwyl Ddewi 1956' The Welsh phrase translates as 'Happy St David's Day' . The poet, short story writer and novelist Glyn Jones (Morgan Glyndwr Jones) was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, a town which he later made the setting for many of his writings. Drawing on his experience of teaching at primary schools in Cardiff, he wrote the long radio poem The Dream of Jake Hopkins in 1944, the adaptation of which was commissioned by the BBC and broadcast in the Welsh Home Service in 1953. A friend of Dylan Thomas, (who encouraged him to write and publish his first short story collection), the pair remained friends from their first meeting in 1934, through to Thomas' death in 1953, just one year before this collection was published. Other poems which appear here are Merthyr, High Wind the Village and The Statue and the Lord (the poet was a devout Christian from an early age). The inscription celebrating the patron Saint of Wales shows Jones s acute love of his home country. Scarce with these attributes. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcome direct contact.