Happy Valley

New York City: Viking Press, 1940. 1st edition. Hardcover. pp. 317. 8vo. Bound in original woven black cloth. Title labels to spine and front board. Publisher's topstain. No dust jacket. Front board very sl. bowed. Spine label faded with small chip. Contents unmarked, binding tight. Good plus condition. Patrick White (1912-1990) was an English-born Australian writer who is widely regarded as one of the most important English language novelists of the 20th century. From 1935, until his death, he published twelve novels, three short story collections and eight plays. In 1973, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first Australian to win that prize.'Happy Valley' is the author's first novel, first published by George G. Harrap (London) in 1939. Our offering is the first American edition. 'Happy Valley' won the 1941 Australian Literature Society Gold Medal. White would not allow it to be re-published during his lifetime, as he feared an action for defamation might be brought by the descendants of some of the characters described in the book. A new printing did not appear until 2012, long after his death.