The Times Anthology of Ghost Stories (Jonathan Cape, 1975)


Notes on this edition: Julian Barnes. “A Self-Possessed Woman.” The Times Anthology of Ghost Stories. London: Jonathan Cape, 1975. Pp. 195 + [1]. 20.5 x 13.2 cm. ISBN: 0224011952.

Julian Barnes’s short story appears on pp. 132-149.

From a competition judged by Kingsley Amis, Patricia Highsmith and Christopher Lee. The Times sponsored the competition in conjunction with Jonathan Cape.

This constitutes Julian Barnes’s first book publication, as it was published five years before his first novel Metroland (Jonathan Cape, 1980). The book was published in hardback with dark green dust jacket. The top of the text block is stained yellow.

This edition was followed by a paperback edition (Corgi Books, 1977) and a German translation (Bastei Lübbe, 1979), also in paperback.

Below is pictured Julian Barnes’s advance copy sent to the author from his publisher Jonathan Cape. The copy bears Barnes’s personal ownership signature dated “MCMLXXV” [1975].