SEÁN RAFFERTY

Salathiel's Song

"An irresistible book" (Verse)

"A selection of his best poetry" (The Guardian)

Seán Rafferty's work was warmly praised by Ted Hughes and Sorley Maclean. Salathiel's Song was published on 6 February 1994, which would have been the Scottish poet's 85th birthday. Sadly, Seán Rafferty, who had put the finishing touches to the collection - including the order and grouping of the poems, the individual sections separated by blank pages - died in December 1993. Salathiel's Song is thus the last collection of this "great and mysterious poet" (Independent), ten late poems that had not previously appeared in book form, five of which had not been published before - here printed as the author wished.

The text, set in Monotype Bodoni, was printed by letterpress at the Stamperia Valdonega on off-white deckle-edged Magnani acid-free rag paper; the front matter and the initials were set by hand, the title page printed in green and black; 24.5 x 16.6 cm, 48 pp., sewn. There are 85 numbered copies bound by hand, five (1-5) in green genuine oasis Nigerian goat-skin, in slipcase, and 80 (6-85) in half black buckram over green boards, backstrip gilt lettered, front cover blocked in black. The 300 unnumbered copies are softbound, with a light grey Fabriano wrap-around jacket printed in green and black.

Seán Rafferty, SALATHIEL'S SONG (English only)    soft-bound ISBN 978-3-931798-04-8    £ 18

SALATHIEL'S SONG special: half buckram, numbered (6-85)   ISBN 978.3-931798-05-5    £ 79

SALATHIEL'S SONG special: full leather (1-5)    £ 358

cf. bilingual edition (English/German) Salathiels Lied