Rare books from Northern Lights Rare Books

London: Heinemann, 1970. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Printing. A wonderful copy of the author's fifth novel, filmed in 1974 with Roger Moore, Susannah York and Bradford Dillman in the leading roles. It sounds like a lifetime ago and yet this copy presents almost As New. Square, tight, with a fresh, white text-block, the most minor of pushing at the extreme spine tips but corners sharp- a really handsome copy. In a beautiful unclipped dustjacket with absolutely no loss of paper but a microscopic chip to the laminate at the crown. There is a line or score across the front panel which may be a production fault - not unduly noticeable although obviously a slight blemish to an otherwise perfect copy. Loosely inserted an adhesive label which has been signed by Wilbur Smith - not a contemporary signature.

Finland: Trinty Production, 1950. 1st Edition . No Binding. Fine. An original and extremely rare Finnish A2 one-sheet film poster for the Documentary Film "Savage Africa" a.k.a. "Congolaise" from 1950. Commissioned by the French Government originally to make a record of the native tribes in French Equatorial Africa, it was controversially edited to present as an exhibition of female nudity and gorilla hunting. As such, possibly one of the very first Blaxploitation movies ever. The film was screened for the first time in Finland in November 1950 and there were no further theatrical releases following its initial run. The poster is an offset print made by Kartapalvelu Oy of Finland, dated 1950 and with the artist's (printed) signature at the right about midway. Measures 23.5" x 16" approx. Pinholes to each of the corners, some minor creasing at the edges in places but overall in outstanding condition, as a cinema-used item it has to be Near Mint. A superb example… Read More

Finland: Universal Pictures, 1950. 1st Edition 1st Printing. No Binding. Fine. A superb-condition cinema-used Finnish A2 poster for the 1949 film JOHNNY STOOL PIGEON, starring Howard Duff, Shelley Winters and Dan Duryea. The film was first screened in Finnish cinemas in 1950 with no subsequent theatrical runs. This particular poster is a standard size 60cm x 40cm approx. It is in really excellent shape, Fine condition. There is a fold line near the top - slanted and visible only from the verso but none to the middle. At the top line of the titles in the letter "a" you can see a mounting hole and there is an enclosed tear surrounding the hole but this is almost invisible - I guess the poster was snatched from it's mounting without any ceremony. No further pinholes. At the bottom edge there is a very short tear and a smaller nick. Otherwise no edge wear apart from some minor handling creasing. The paper is extremely thin and has survived the intervening 70+ years fantastically well.… Read More

Finland: Mosfilm, 1953. 1st Edition . No Binding. Good. An extremely rare Finnish A2 cinema-used poster for the Soviet-era, 1953 historical movie, Admiral Ushakov. The film was first screened in cinemas in Finland in November 1953 with no subsequent theatrical runs. This poster is not a modern reproduction or reprinting and nor is it Video/DVD-related This particular poster is a standard size 60cm x 40cm approx. It is in Good condition - fold-line to centre, free from pinholes or adhesive residue marks. There a few tears to the edges, the biggest of which is 1.5 inches long. No loss of paper involved and therefore easily fixable. The left edge in particular has a few small nicks and one proper tear. The poster is a trifle tanned, perhaps. Notwithstanding the former it remains a very attractive poster, beautifully illustrated in colour (artist name visible in the plate or stone).

London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1995. 1st Edition . Soft cover. Fine. First Printing. An Uncorrected Proof Copy, precedes all other editions. Softcover format with printed wrappers, the front cover featuring a photograph-portrait of the author. Presents as an unread copy with no reading creases to the spine, tight and square. Trivial creases to the corners but a Fine copy indeed and SIGNED directly to the title page by the author. Scarce thus.

Finland: Paramount Pictures, 1956. 1st Edition 1st Printing. No Binding. As New. An unused Finnish A2 lobby poster for the movie Lucy Gallant, starring Jane Wyman & Charlton Heston The film was first screened in Finnish cinemas in 1956. This particular poster is a standard size 60cm x 40cm approx, printed by Rotopaino Oy of Helsinki. It is in miraculous shape, Mint condition. Unfolded. No pinholes. No tears, nicks or creases. Bright, clean and vivid.

London: Heinemann, 2017. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. As New/As New. Signed, stamped and numbered limited edition, no. 60 of 750. Signed by Tom Hanks at the title page. Lovely copy, appears unread. Slipcase, two postcards and bookmark laid in - the bookmark has a creased corner.

Helsinki: Schildts, 1974. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Very Good. First Printing, the true first edition of Tove Jansson's first full-length novel for adults. Publshed in Helsinki by Schildts, the author's Swedish-language publisher in her native Finland. Set in a Florida retirement centre, Solstaden is, in the author's own words, "a book about what it's like to get old and I have described the love of two very young and beautiful people in the city of the elderly.". Hardcover in dustjacket, pp.171. The dustjacket illustration by the author. Printed in the Swedish language. A Fine, tight, square copy, appears unread. The dustjacket has minor rubbing/wear to the extremities otherwise VG. SIGNED in black ink at the title page by the author, extremely rare thus.

Helsinki: Schildts, 1982. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Printing. pp. 191 (192). Printed in the Swedish language, the original first edition of her novel, The True Deceiver. A stunning copy in superb condition which has been signed (with provenance) by Tove Jannson at the half-title. Fine in Fine dustjacket with minor shelf creasing to the crown.

London: Phaidon Press, 2021. 1st Edition . Hardcover. As New. First UK Printing. Fabric-covered boards without dustjacket as issued. 439 pages, red endpapers and edges. As New condition, SIGNED directly to the title page by Annie Leibovitz.

London: Harrap & Co, 1985. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. First Printing. A splendid and unique copy of the Ralph Steadman illustrated version of Treasure Island - inscribed by the artist at the front endpapers to fellow artist and writer Posy Simmonds. Inscription reads, "For Posy Simmonds from me, Ralph Steadman". In addition to the huge inscription in gold ink the artist has drawn a skeleton beneath the existing skull illustration. Bumped at the crown and lower corners, otherwise Near Fine. Dustjacket - unclipped, tiny chip to the surface of the rear panel, Near Fine. Provenance: From the library of Posy Simmonds

London: Faber & Faber, 1995. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Superb copy of the Nobel Prize winning author's fourth novel. Black cloth covers with white titles to the spine. Square, very tight, sharp corners, fresh, white text-block, a really Fine book with a light scratch to the lower cover. The dustjacket is unclipped and in Fine clean condition except for one obvious fault which is a 2.5 inch tear or razor-cut to the rear panel from the top edge down. Has been reasonably well tape-repaired but is still noticeable with minor loss of laminate. Otherwise would be a perfect unclipped dustjacket! SIGNED without inscription or dedication at the title page (for the seller in person), a lovely copy.

Tampere, Finland: Tampere Art Museum, 1986. 1st Edition . Soft cover. Near Fine. First Printing. An incredibly rare item of Moomins memorabilia. In 1986 Tove Jansson and her life-partner, the artist Tuulikki Pietilä, donated a huge collection of Moomins-related artwork to Tampere Art Museum, Finland. The collection comprised over 1000 drawings and paintings and 38 three-dimensional tableaux. The collection was first displayed in The Moomins exhibition at Tampere Art Museum along with other original sketches and book illustrations by Jansson. The tableaux were miniature Moomin-themed dioramas crafted by Jansson, Tuulikki Pietilä and their friend, Pentti Eistola. The donation also comprised other works of art by Jansson as well as archival Moomins-related material. An exhibition catalogue was, of course, published to mark the occasion and we are pleased to be able to offer for sale a particularly significant example. Printed in the Finnish language, the catalogue comprises 72 pages with text… Read More

Headline, 2005. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Fine. A really Fine, fresh, clean copy of the First UK edition. Dustjacket unclipped and in Fine shape. SIGNED by Neil Gaiman at the Dedication (for the seller in person), where he has underlined the line of printed text which reads "This one's for you" and signed below. A nice touch.

Finland: Self-published, 1947. 1st Edition . No Binding. Fine. An attractive and early, small drypoint by Tuulikki Pietilä (1917-2009), Finland's most influential graphic artist of the 20th Century. Numbered 7/15 (lower left) and hand-signed/dated in pencil in 1947 by the artist (middle to lower right). Framed and under glass, the frame measures 24cm x 28cm approx. Image measures 7 cm x 7 cm approx. A portrait of a small boy named "Georg" in the image but at the back on the label to verso the title of the work is recorded as "Jori" which is a Finnish nickname for Georg. The print appears to be in VG to Fine condition, not examined under frame. Original backing with label to verso. The frame is a simple wooden one with a small chip right edge near middle, a few smaller ones on the surface of the edges and a few other minor marks, condition commensurate with age - likely to be the original.