Books

New York and London: Fountain press/Hogarth Press, 1929. Original red cloth, gilt title, (9.75 x 6 inches), 159 pages, plus numbered colophon. Signed limited first edition, number 261 of 492 copies signed by Woolf in her characteristic purple ink on the half title page, of which only 450 were for sale. Printed in U.S. by Robert Josephy and published on October 21, 1929, this edition preceded the English edition, both signed and trade, by three days (Kirkpatrick A12. Woolmer 215A). Exterior is in exceptionally fine condition, cloth is clean, and bright, the corners tight; internally, there is a closed tear along edge on page 65 (presumely from hastily opening the uncut page), binding is tight, overall a desirable copy of this classic feminist text.. Signed. First Edition. Cloth. Near Fine. Tall Octavo.

A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf, first published in September 1929. The work is based on two lectures Woolf delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women's colleges at the University of Cambridge. In this essay, Woolf addresses the limitations and prejudices that affect women writers and the conditions necessary for their creative work. The book is noted for its famous dictum, 'A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.'

One method of determining if a copy of 'A Room of One's Own' is a first edition is to check the publisher and date. First editions were published by Hogarth Press in 1929. Additionally, identifying features such as the presence of dust jackets, specific cover designs, and typographical errors that were corrected in later editions can also indicate a first edition.