First edition. Blue cloth in printed dustwrapper. Inscribed by Hughes on the dedication leaf "Written [To Sylvia] and now presented to her with all my love" A near fine copy in a very good dustwrapper with minor chipping to the head of spine and some light general wear.

The dedication copy of Hughes's first book, inscribed to his wife, Sylvia Plath, associating two of the most notable post war poets.
At Sylvia's suggestion, Hughes agreed to enter a collection of poems in a competition organised by The Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association of New York, the prize for which was immediate publication of the collection by Harper in New York. Plath typed and ordered the manuscript and sent it off in late 1956. There were 287 entries, from which the judges, Stephen Spender, W.H.Auden and Marianne Moore, chose The Hawk in the Rain, commenting, "The talent is unmistakable. The work has focus, is aglow with feeling, with conscience; sensibility is awake, embodied in appropriate action."
On receiving the news in February 1957, Plath wrote to her mother,
"I am more happy than if it was my book published! I have worked so closely on these poems of Ted's and typed them so many countless times through revision after revision that I feel ecstatic about it all..." (24 February 1957)
On the strength of the competition and impending publication, Faber agreed to publish the book in the UK and in order to allow it to be eligible for for selection by the Poetry Book Society Choice, publication of the American edition was delayed, making this the true first edition albeit, probably presented by Hughes to Plath after the American edition.
2000 copies were printed and it was duly made Poetry Book Society Choice as well as winning the Somerset Maugham Award and being acclaimed by every reviewer from A. Alvarez to Edwin Muir.

PROVENANCE: Sylvia Plath (presentation inscription); Ted Hughes (following Plath suicide in 1963); Frieda Hughes (Hughes and Plath's daughter).

Sagar & Tabor A1a

Stock ID: 45805