Ypsikaminos [Blast-Furnace].

the first purely surrealist Greek text - inscribed by the author

The first purely surrealist Greek text by Greece's first psychoanalyst. One of 50 copies, inscribed by the author in Greek on the title page: '"We are all within our future." (p. 70) / To Katerina N. Koumandarou / With great esteem and / infinite friendship. / A. [L.] Embirikos'.

Together with George Seferis, Embirikos was the most important representative of the Generation of the '30s, contributing greatly to the introduction of modernism in Greek letters. With Ypsikaminos, his first poetry collection, Embirikos introduced an innovative way of writing poetry in Greece. He used the method of automatic writing, which had already been used by the surrealists of Paris, as well as the unconscious mind, which he had learned from his studies in psychoanalysis.

'"Blast-Furnace" holds a unique place in modern Greek poetry. No poet prior to "Blast-Furnace" - in spite of indications that surrealism was known in Greece before 1935 - and no poet since, has put together a book so heretical, so cryptic and so "difficult" - one which nevertheless sold out in no time, "not because it was of interest, but because it was considered so scandalous, written by someone deranged," as the poet himself reminisces.' (Yatromanolakis, 2001)

First edition, sole printing, number 5 of 50 hors commerce copies for presentation, inscribed by the author, from a total edition of 200; 4to (21 x 16.5 cm); original buff wrappers printed in black, first and last leaves unopened, minor wear to spine; an excellent, entirely unrestored copy.

NB: Modern Greek polytonic orthography transliterated according to the Library of Congress standard.