QUENTIN BLAKE (b.1932, illustrator) – ROALD DAHL (1916-1990)
The BFG. London: Jonathan Cape, 1982.
The BFG and Sophie leap across the pages of this first edition of a family favourite, joyfully extra-illustrated by Quentin Blake. Of the many children’s classics written by Roald Dahl, his 1982 book telling the story of a big, friendly dream-catching giant and the orphan Sophie – named for Dahl’s first grandchild – was said by the author to be his personal favourite. Indeed, so important was the book to Dahl that he was moved to post a gigantic Norwegian sandal to Quentin Blake to ensure that the BFG’s footwear would be rendered exactly as he imagined: as always, his longstanding artistic collaborator and friend perfectly captured Dahl’s characters in pen and ink, and the large, flapping ears of the BFG, Sophie’s round spectacles, and the terrifying visages of the less-than-friendly giants will be immediately familiar to children and parents alike. Here, Quentin Blake breaks the BFG and Sophie free from the confines of the printed page and allows them to bound from cover to cover in pen-and-ink and felt tip, beset by the other giants on two frightful occasions. The added illustrations are found across 18 pages, including both sets of endpapers, and on the front cover; a six-word inscription by Quentin Blake dates this decorative campaign to February 2020.

Octavo. Original grey cloth, spine lettered in gilt, pictorial dust jacket.

Buyer’s premium is payable, with a significant portion donated by Christie’s to English PEN, but note that no VAT is payable on hammer price or buyer’s premium.
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