KEANE, John B. The Street and Other Poems (Fitst edition of debut poetry collection by John B. Keane)

Dublin: Progress House (Publications) Ltd., 1961. First edition. Small 8vo. Original pale blue cloth, title gilt to upper cover. In the original printed dust jacket. The present copy is a true first edition, with “First published in 1961” stated on the copyright page. A near fine copy in very good dust jacket. Cloth clean and bright. Internally fresh, with only light toning to margins. Dust jacket with light edge wear and minor creasing, spine slightly toned. A most attractive example of a scarce Irish literary debut.

An important and scarce debut poetry collection by John B. Keane, published prior to his emergence as one of Ireland’s most celebrated playwrights. The Street and Other Poems reveals the formative voice of a writer deeply attuned to the cadences of rural Irish life, blending lyrical observation with the sharp characterisation that would later define his dramatic work. Themes of memory, community, and quiet hardship run throughout, offering an early insight into Keane’s enduring preoccupations.

[L3 8D]