Peake (Mervyn, English writer, artist, poet & illustrator, 1911-1968) 2 Autograph Letters signed to his friend Helene Bruce ('Lanie'), 5pp., Wallington, Surrey and Sark, 1st November 1931 - 14th May 1934, folds, 4to.

⁂ A superb pair of exuberant letters that show the young Peake reveling in his new career as professional artist "Got a picture in the Academy this year, and have sold 4 all together -total £7.7. It’s all gone- bought a corduroy suit - double breasted - damned snappy... Lanie sweetheart - I never knew what art was or painting or drawing or anything when you were here - not that I do now, but things are beginning to move. I am going to draw Cochran’s chorus girls in the Ballet school - Free permit - isn’t that great and I’ll knock old Degas into a cocked hat".

The first letter contains Peake's impressions of his apparent first visit to Sark "Paradise, without any damned angels getting in the light", and even some two years later the island ( to which he had moved to join the artists' colony of his his former teacher Eric Drake) still maintained its hold: ".The island is magical now. The flowers are like living cataracts of pure colour...The sunlight was terrific, making the grass, trees and flowers and especially the gorse almost dizzily brilliant". Peake and Bruce maintained a lengthy correspondence with many of their letters now residing in the Mervyn Peake archive at the British Library.