The Wickedest Witch in the World. A Story for Children of All Ages.

1971. London; W.H. Allen. 1971. 8vo. Original ivory paper-covered boards, boldly lettered in gilt to spine, preserved in pictorial dustwrapper; pp. [iv], 5-191; with full-page plates throughout in line by Robin Jacques; a very fresh clean copy in crisp, unclipped dustwrapper (£1.30) with no wear but some overall toning; scarce. First edition; the author's own copy which is inscribed by Beverly Nichols to the front free endpaper in ink, "Beverly Nichols, Personal Copy, March 1970". Interestingly the book was published in 1971, so it is not clear what the explanation is for the author predating it here, it might have been a simple mistake or reflect the date of the writing of the story. This work is more commonly found as a Knight Reader, issued at the end of the 1970s. The author, essayist, journalist and playwright John Beverley Nichols was a huge celebrity in his day and became a much-loved public figure who was probably best known for his writings about gardening. Alongside mystery novels, works of non-fiction, plays, and newspaper and magazine articles, Nichols wrote four wonderful children's books which are adored by those who grew up with them. This is the last of those, preceded by The Tree That Sat Down (1945); The Stream That Stood Still (1948), and The Mountain of Magic (1950).