London: Jonathan Cape, 1945. First edition hardback. 146pp, 8vo.

After her discharge from a sanatorium, Helen Ferguson, then mostly known for her disquieting novel of repressed lesbian desire Let Me Alone, changed her name to Anna Kavan. Curiously, Anna was the name of that debut novel’s heroine. I Am Lazarus was published in 1945 and is a collection of stories similar to her previous book Asylum Piece; these are stories about people on the edge, suffering from depression and addiction. Some of these stories would later be collected in the posthumous book Julia and the Bazooka, which, along with her masterful apocalypse novel Ice, cemented her legacy as a fearless and highly skilled writer.

Features owner’s note detailing that it was purchased at WHSmith’s in Bournemouth in March, 1945. Dustjacket missing. Title on grey board and spine. Page 25 and 26 torn slightly.