Edition 69: Three Texts of the Czech Avant-Garde

This book was published by Twisted Spoon Press, based in Prague, which specializes in works by Czech and Slavic authors in English. Launched in 1931 by Jindřich Štyrský, Edition 69 included six volumes of erotic literature and illustrations, inspired by Louis Aragon's and Georges Bataille's works. The series featured the first Czech translation of Marquis de Sade's Justine and Pietro Aretino, both illustrated by Toyen, alongside three volumes from Czech artists, all illustrated by Štyrský, who also wrote the final volume. Due to censorship issues encountered with his illustrations for Lautréamont's Maldoror, the series was not sold in regular retail outlets or libraries. The original colophons indicate that these books were exclusively for subscribers, collectors, and friends, with print runs limited to 200 copies (Štyrský's volume was restricted to 69 copies). This collection presents original English translations of Nezval’s “Sexual Nocturne,” Halas’s erotic poetry collection “Thyrsos,” and Štyrský’s “Emilie Comes to Me in a Dream,” including a postscript from psychoanalyst and fellow Surrealist Bohuslav Brouk. Each work features different artistic techniques, from pen and ink to graphic collages and pornographic photomontages. Influenced by Max Ernst and André Masson, Štyrský's vision for Edition 69 stands out as a significant achievement in European Surrealism, reflecting the interwar Czech avant-garde's exploration of