The New Rythum and other pieces

Ronald Firbank (1886-1926) was a pioneering figure in early twentieth-century fiction, known for his highly stylized, elliptical prose that influenced writers from Evelyn Waugh to Aldous Huxley. His novels featured decadent characters, deliberately fragmented narratives, and dialogue-heavy passages that seemed to float free of conventional plot structures. Though he died young and achieved little commercial success in his lifetime, his experimental techniques anticipated postmodern fiction and inspired generations of writers.

The New Rythum and Other Pieces represents a literary treasure trove—the posthumous publication of Ronald Firbank manuscripts and photographs discovered after the 1961 publication of The Complete Ronald Firbank. These "newly discovered Firbank materials" offer additional glimpses into the work of one of modernism's most idiosyncratic and influential stylists.

This 1962 volume, published by the adventurous New Directions press, includes the frontispiece portrait and illustrations, making it both a literary text and a visual artifact. For collectors of modernist first editions or students of experimental fiction, it represents an important addition to the Firbank canon—material that might easily have been lost had it not been for dedicated literary executors and publishers committed to preserving challenging work.

About New Directions: Founded in 1936 by James Laughlin, New Directions became legendary for publishing avant-garde literature, including Ezra Pound, Dylan Thomas, and Vladimir Nabokov. Their commitment to Firbank's work helped cement his posthumous reputation.