Annie Allen

New York: Harper and Brothers, 1949. First Edition, First Printing. Cloth. Near fine/good. Signed first edition of Annie Allen by Gwendolyn Brooks.. Small octavo, x, 60pp, [2]. Black cloth, publisher's imprint stamped in blind on front cover, title in gilt on spine. Stated "First Edition" on copyright page, with "F-Y" code. Solid text block, a near fine example. Previous ownership bookplate to front free endpapers. Features frontispiece portrait of Gwendolyn Brooks. In the publisher's first state dust jacket, $2.50 retail price on front flap, chipped corners, a few short closed tears to top and bottom edges. Jacket partially split along side, reinforced with an archival tissue repair to verso. Signed by Gwendolyn Brooks on the half title. Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000), a renowned author, was the first African American to receive a Pulitzer Prize. Annie Allen details the experience of an African American girl as she grows into adulthood. The work was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry on May 1, 1950.