THE DIARY OF "HELENA MORLEY

London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1958. First printing. Near fine in near fine jacket.. First UK edition of Morley (Brant)'s adolescent diary, first privately published in Brazil in 1942 and first appearing in Bishop's translation in 1957. Alice Deyrell Caldeira Brant began keeping diaries in 1893, the 12-year-old daughter of a diamond miner in the small Brazilian town of Diamantina; their first publication was arranged by her husband and edited to omit any and all reference to their meeting and courtship. At the time of Bishop's English translation, the author was 76, happy to meet the poet and expand on her old stories, living proof that "it really happened; everything did take place, day by day, minute by minute, once and only once, just the way Helena says it did" (Bishop). 8.25'' x 5.5''. Original red cloth. In original unclipped (18/-) dust jacket. 281, [1] pages. Minor edgewear to boards, faint touches of soil to jacket.