Bloomfield A7.d: "Published 17 May 1971 in an impression of 8.500 copies at 35p."

Philip Larkin was an English poet, novelist, and librarian who is generally considered to be one of the greatest British poets of the second half of the 20th century.

Raymond Laurence Brett was Professor of English at University of Hull and a friend of Philip Larkin. He served on as chairman of the library committee when Larkin applied for the position of University Librarian, beginning their long friendship.

In 'Philip Larkin: A Psycho-Literary Sketch,' first published in 'About Larkin 7, April 1999, although written in 1996, Brett discusses in park his relationship with Larkin: "When Philip Larkin was appointed as University Librarian at Hull I was the chairman of the library committee and saw him almost daily...The published letters, which are only a selection, run to 700 printed pages and reveal Larkin as one of the last great letter-writers in England in quantity as well as quality. Added to the hours he spent on his correspondence was the time he gave to his diaries (destroyed on his instructions after his death), to his essays and reviews, a selection of which were published in Required Writing, and his jazz reviews written from 1961-65 and published as All What Jazz...Larkin had a keen sense of humour and delighted in hearing or recounting an amusing anecdote. But his wit could be quite cutting in his comments on colleagues and even on those who counted themselves his friends...Larkin always generously gave me inscribed copies of his most recent publications."

Octavo, 46 pages. In Very Good minus condition. Bound in publishers wraps in black, white, green, and red, with black lettering to spine. Light fading to spine, creasing along card-stock hinges, light wear to extremities. Inscribed on the front free endpaper by Larkin: "Ray - fellow-voyager on troubled waters, this book of genuine Hull poems: Philip". DB consignment. Shelved case 0.