Comments on: Secrets of the Olympia Press Naked Lunch

By: Max Barrett

Max Barrett — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 04:15:19 +0000

My own first copy of Olympia’s’ NL was also a minor disappointment, as it did not include the dust jacket.

That copy does, however, include the period francs… And now we know (or can reasonably surmise) that it was never supposed to have that dust jacket in the first place.

Besides gifting us with an extraordinary bit of scholarship, you’ve reinstated a big jewel in the crown of my WSB collection. Many, many thanks.

By: kevin ring

kevin ring — Tue, 25 May 2021 10:25:56 +0000

A monumental piece of Beat writing and history. Forensic in detail.

Kevin Ring – Beat Scene magazine

By: Luzius

Luzius — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 12:21:57 +0000

Fantastic read!
I checked my shelves & found 5 copies:
Two copies without dustjackets:
Both have periods. One was Antony Balch‘s copy from the Beat Hotel, so presumably a very early copy. It is of a darker green than all the others & slightly smaller in size: 11x17cm. The other is 11×17,4, in that beautiful bright olive green wrapper we all love.
Three copies in dustjackets:
all 3 in identical jackets, all in the same bright olive green wrapper, all 11×17,4cm. Two have periods, one with the rectangular stamp NEW PRICE NF 18.
The third copy (bought from a German dealer) has the comma. Laid in are two calendar sheets: Mittwoch 21. Oktober 1959 & Donnerstag 22. Oktober 1959 (missing Freitag 23. Oktober?).

My guess is that there was a very first print run, the book slightly smaller in size, darker green wrapper without dustjacket, for personal distribution in the epicenter: The Beat Hotel & the bookstores in the surroundings.
The next print run was in regular size (11×17,4), brighter color, sold with or without dustjacket. Another print run with comma left the presses in October 1959 & was sold with the jacket.

By: roy pennington

roy pennington — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 14:26:17 +0000

pleasure to read this : my copy has the comma Francs : 1,500
and i got it a few years ago from a bloke in Brighton – he might have got it from a dealer in 1959/60 on the Newhaven ferry, a well-known way of by-passing the Customs in Dover… “

By: RealityStudio

RealityStudio — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 03:42:07 +0000

Note to self or anyone else who cares: I just realized that Diane was probably Diane Barker, a resident of the Beat Hotel.