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[SOCIAL UTOPIA] Vesti niotkuda: Utopiya [i.e. News from Nowhere: Utopia]

Morris, W.

Kharkiv: Proletarii, 1923. Item #142

148 pp. 23x15 cm. In original printed wrappers. Rubbed covers, tears of the spine, bookshop's stamp on the back cover, owner's signature on the title page and verso of the front cover, foxing. Otherwise very good.

Second edition of a classic work News from Nowhere by the English designer, poet and socialist pioneer William Morris (1834-1896). Morris wrote the book in response to Bellamy's American utopia "Looking backward" which had a huge popularity among the readers and criticized by Morris.
In the end of the 19th century writers like Morris, Ruskin, Carlyle became very popular in Russia. From 1895 to 1917 and even in first years of USSR there was a tremendous amount of translations and works about them. For example, between 1895 and 1905 all Carlyle's key works were translated into Russian, and Ruskin's death in 1900 was vigorously discussed in Russian newspapers (for example, Leo Tolstoy praised him). In 1893 famous poet Nikolai Minsky contacted Morris directly and was trying to arrange translations into Russian. During revolution period of 1905-1907 News from Nowhere and his other social works were spreading rapidly (as there was an obvious demand). Such popularity was in 1920s and later in 1960s. The reason for this interest was simple: problems of social and economical life in regard to culture and art which became actual in the beginning of the 20th century were first comprehended in Britain much earlier.

Price: $350.00