Hors Commerce Copy of the Unicorn Books "Ali's Smile" (1971)

Brighton, England: Unicorn Books (book, hors commerce), 1971.
6.375" x 8.125" x 0.325", ~32 pages, hardcover without dust-jacket as issued.

Ali's Smile by William S. Burroughs, as first published in an edition of 99 hardcover copies – of which 9 are hors commerce copies – by Bill Butler's Unicorn Books (Brighton, England) in 1971.  Drawing of the Kris knife is by John Anderson. Papers by G. F. Smith. Bound by F. H. Knight & Son.

This scarce edition was originally planned to be released in a slipcase with a single-sided vinyl album of the text (an audio-book of a sort), however a number of copies of the album were set on a heater and warped. Thus only approximately half of the copies of the book were released with an album [I have tracked down a number of copies in institutions and with collectors, and it appears close to 50% have albums]. Some number of albums also were also separately sold, mostly through Expanded Media Editions.

This specific copy is one of the nine hors commerce copies, inscribed by William S. Burroughs to Claude Pélieu and Mary Beach ("For Claude and Mary / all the best at / Christmas, / William Burroughs"). This copy is unnumbered. This copy was formerly in the collection of Greg Trueblood and was acquired by me as a gift from Janet Galore through Ken Lopez Bookseller (Hadley, Massachusetts, US). Although I know the location of roughly fifty of the Unicorn Ali's Smile copies, I have not yet located other hors commerce copies of this book.

This copy did not include the album or slipcase.

Maynard & Miles A19.
Shoaf I.21.
Schottlaender v4.A23.A.

External Links:

• Wikipedia: "Ali's Smile"