Sylvia Plath’s closest friends and family were sent a very special card for Christmas 1960. It was a small pamphlet that included her recent poem “A Winter Ship”. Although it was the size and shape of a Christmas card, this was much more than just a simple card . It was the first stand-alone publication by Plath.
In 2018 we were delighted to be able to add a copy of this rare publication to our collections. It is of special interest to us because it was published in Edinburgh by the Tragara Press. The Tragara Press was founded by Alan Anderson in the early 1950s, and was active until 2009. It was probably Scotland’s longest running and most prolific private press. It took its name from the famous Punta Tragara hotel on the island of Capri.
Anderson had been impressed by a piece he had read by Plath’s husband Ted Hughes. He wrote to Hughes asking if he could publish something by him. Hughes suggested instead that he publish a poem by his wife. “A Winter Ship” had been inspired by a visit to a wintry Boston harbour that the couple had made in 1958 when they were living in the United States.
The publication consists of a single folded sheet, our copy is housed in a green card folder. Plath sent a letter to Alan Anderson owner of the Tragara Press on 11th June 1960. “I am writing on my own behalf to say how delighted my husband and I were with the proofs of “A Winter Ship”. I’m sending back the one we like best, with the border round it. We thought we’d like the date, place and press in upright letters, as on the other proof, and my name deleted – as I’ll write that on the inside myself, with Christmas greeting too. Would four dozen copies be too much of a burden for you?”. .
The item is available for free consultation in our reading rooms. It is one of many attractive publications we have from the Tragara Press. We have many items by and about Sylvia Plath in our collections including the rare first edition of her only novel “The Bell Jar”. You can come in and see them this Christmas, or indeed at any time of the year. Alternatively take a little time to read Plath’s “A Winter Ship”, you should be able to find the text online. Although not a Christmas poem it is perfect reading for this time of year.
Above is a detail from the cover, below is the cover of our copy.
