Vokrug da Okolo

London: Flegon Press, 1963. First edition thus; 6 1/2 x 9 1/2; pp. 29; stapled yellow wraps; mild foxing along margins of covers; small nick to fore-edge of front cover; previous owner's name stamp to corner of front cover and title page; one large b&w illustration; very good condition.Fedor Abramov was a Russian author and literary critic known for his affinity for writing about the hardships of the Russian peasants. His essay "Around the Bush" also centered on the difficult kolkhoz lives.The publisher of the essay, Alec Flegon, was the owner of "Flegon Press" and a controversial figure in the samizdat publishing circles in London in mid-20th century. He was the first to publish Mikhail Bulgakov's 'Heart of a Dog' and Alexander Solzhenitsyn's 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich' as well as various versions of Pasternak's 'Doctor Zhivago.' He did not pay royalties to the authors under the pretext of helping them more than enough with just promoting their works. For that he was resented by many immigrants and was sued by Solzhenitsyn for piracy. He was also rumored to have had strong KGB ties as he was most successful smuggling manuscripts, phone directories, etc. from Russia to England. On the other hand, for his affordable editions and hard work, Flegon had numerous admirers and grateful readers.