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Guarded by Dragons - Encounters with Rare Books and Rare People (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R467
Discovery Miles 4 670
You Save: R107
(19%)
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Guarded by Dragons - Encounters with Rare Books and Rare People (Hardcover)
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List price R574
Loot Price R467
Discovery Miles 4 670
You Save R107 (19%)
Expected to ship within 9 - 15 working days
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The Times Best Literary Non-fiction Books 2021 - 'a super yarn'
'Rick Gekoski's encyclopaedic knowledge of rare books is matched
only by the enthusiasm and brio with which he writes about them'
Ian Rankin Rick Gekoski has been traversing the rocky terrain of
the rare book trade for over fifty years. The treasure he seeks is
scarce, carefully buried and often jealously guarded, knowledge of
its hiding place shared through word of mouth like the myths of
old. In Guarded by Dragons, Gekoski invites readers into this
enchanted world as he reflects on the gems he has unearthed
throughout his career. He takes us back to where his love of
collecting began - perusing D.H. Lawrence first editions in a
slightly suspect Birmingham carpark. What follows are dizzying
encounters with literary giants as Gekoski publishes William
Golding, plays ping-pong with Salman Rushdie and lunches with
Graham Greene. A brilliant stroke of luck sees Sylvia Plath's
personal copy of The Great Gatsby fall into Gekoski's lap, only for
him to discover the perils of upsetting a Poet Laureate when Ted
Hughes demands its return. Hunting for literary treasure is not
without its battles and Gekoski boldly breaks the cardinal rule
never to engage in a lawsuit with someone much richer than
yourself, while also guarding his bookshop from the most unlikely
of thieves. The result is an unparalleled insight into an almost
mythical world where priceless first editions of Ulysses can
vanish, and billionaires will spend as much gold as it takes to own
the manuscript of J.K. Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard.
Engaging, funny and shrewd, Guarded by Dragons is a fascinating
discussion on value and worth. At the same time, Gekoski artfully
reveals how a manuscript can tell a thousand stories.
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