A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN by WOOLF, Virginia - 1929

"But, you may say, we asked you to speak about women and fiction ...."

First edition. Small octavo. Cinnamon cloth boards, lettered in gilt on spine. All edges trimmed. Pale pink dust wrapper printed in navy blue, designed by Vanessa Bell. Offsetting to endpapers from wrapper flaps, bookplate on front pastedown, lightly rubbed at crown, dusty top edge, else a very good copy; dust jacket has some chips at crown and elsewhere, a chip on front panel, else good and extremely scarce in any condition. From the collection of R. O. Blechman, an American animator, illustrator, children's-book author, graphic novelist and editorial cartoonist whose work has been the subject of retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art and other institutions.

First edition, first trade edition. A Room of One's Own grew out of two lectures that Woolf gave in 1928 at the women's-only colleges of Girton and Newnham, Cambridge University. In addressing the topic of "women and fiction," Woolf argues that structural inequalities throughout history have impacted women's independence. Further, that for women to produce great works of literature, they need financial independence and a physical space of their own, symbolized by the title "a room of one's own." In the essay, Woolf examines the history of women's writing and highlights the limitations and biases women faced in the literary world throughout history. She emphasizes the importance of women having the freedom to write and express themselves without being restricted by societal norms and gender-based expectations.

Woolf also delves into the idea of androgyny, suggesting that to create great art, both men and women should embrace qualities traditionally associated with both genders, breaking free from narrow gender roles. Overall, A Room of One's Own is a compelling feminist text that urges for greater equality and opportunities for women in literature and society as a whole. It continues to be a significant work in feminist literary criticism and has inspired many to explore and challenge gender-based perspectives in art and literature. The most iconic and important first edition in Woolf's earliest list of stunning literary achievements.