COLETTE CHÈRIE.

London : Edwin Self & Co., [ca.1952]. First edition. "A fascinating story of the modern Paris underworld with all the romantic and glamorous aspects of life with artist's models and midinettes" from "one of the newest successes in modern French literature". This and the rest of the authorial biography - poor boy from Montmartre, served with the Maquis, imprisoned by the Gestapo - is all a complete fiction. Valois was the pseudonym of Lisle Willis, ex-RAF English school-teacher, local councillor and prospective parliamentary candidate. Both he and his publisher, Edwin Self, were tried on bizarre obscenity charges in 1954 and, even more bizarrely, found guilty. Self went to prison, Willis heavily fined and barred for life from teaching (he went into television). For an excellent account of the whole affair see Steve Holland's "The Big Panic : The Story of Edwin Self and Pedigree Books". Crown 8vo (19cm). 128pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers in a design by Leonard Potts; some wear and creasing; text lightly tanned but a good copy of a scarce title. Just a single copy (Manchester) located in major libraries worldwide.