Sims Reed Rare Books×

Academic Board Poems

Smith, Ken

Sidmouth. Peeks Press. 1968
Rare poetry book by Ken Smith with his annotations and a presentation.

Smith's presentation, written in red pen to the first page, reads: 'Amended signature of personalised custom-built copy for J. Lyle (Hurrah). Esq. Ken Smith.'

Ken Smith taught at Exeter College of Art from 1965 and his poetry was hugely influential to a younger generation of British poets. He joined the protests of 1968 and the present work addresses this subject. The first page states 'These poems arose out of a series of events in June and early July, 1968, at Exeter College of Art.'

Poems included are The Boss, Talking Head of Department, A Good Fox, The Spider, Historian-Painter, Professor, The Seven Deaths, The Committee, Poem for Jock Kennedy and Creatures. Smith has put a line through Jock Kennedy and written the name in red pen above. 8 of the 10 poems are accompanied by Smith's marginalia in blue pen.

John Lyle was a bookseller and student of Surrealism.
[6 unnumbered leaves]. 8vo. (155 x 192 mm). Original publisher's stapled wrappers.
#46901