The Fat Woman's Joke [with] The Fat Woman's Joke 1966 typescript.

London, MacGibbon & Kee, 1967. . First edition, twice inscribed by the author; 8vo; light toning to leaves, very occasional light marks; publisher's red cloth, gilt lettering to spine, corners and spine ends slightly bumped, with the unclipped pictorial dustjacket by John Farman, slightly toned and marked, light edgewear, some dampstaining to lower edge, otherwise very good; with the 1966 typescript, signed by the author, a few tears to first and last few pages, rust marks from an old bulldog clip, slight creasing and age toning, but very interesting nonetheless; 114pp.
First edition inscribed twice by the author in ink to the front free endpaper, together with the signed typescript dated 1966.

The first inscription reads: 'To Derek / without whom, etc.... / Fay'. The recipient, Derek Bennett, was the producer of Weldon's television play, The Fat Woman's Tale, originally screened in September 1966. Bennett and Weldon worked together on a number of occasions through the 1970s and 1980s. The second inscription refers to the first and reads, 'For Ray - a very special / copy indeed: end of that / see my autobiography - / Fay Weldon / 21.7.92'.

Together with the book is the typescript of the novel, signed by Weldon on the title page, which is dated June 1966, 3 months before the screenplay aired. A cursory comparison between the typescript and the published text has indicated light but substantive differences throughout.