Thursday 23 January 2020

French Canadian Paperbacks Part VII

There are 411 fiction titles in the Collection Petit Format imprint from publisher Les Editions Moderne of Montreal. Only two are paperback originals and only one is by a Canadian author. It happens that one book is in both categories - Le mouchoir d'Alencon (The Alencon Handkerchief) by Georges Monarque (1893-1946). Monarque was a lawyer and history buff. As far as I can see this his only novel - published three years after his death.

The other PBO is discussed here.


Collection Petit Format 140 - September 1949

Collection Petit Format 140 back

Tuesday 21 January 2020

French Canadian Paperbacks Part VI


More on the Collections Petit Format imprint from Montreal publisher Les Editions Moderne.

There is a fascinating overlap between Harlequin and Les Editions Moderne as both published a French language cookbook. The CPF version is Cuisinons (Cook), 1955 by Jehane Benoit. Benoit (1904-1987) was a well-known culinary author
who appeared on French and English television
and wrote a column for La Revue Moderne. The Harlequin cookbook is The Pocket Purity Cookbook (1950). Uniquely it was also published the same month by Harlequin in French as Livre de cuisine Purity petit format.

Harlequin 52 - June 1950

Harlequin 52 back

Collection Petit Format nn - October 1955

Collection Petit Format nn back

Monday 6 January 2020

Collection Fill

A book I've been wanting for 12 years has arrived. It is one of two of the 459 White Circle Pocket Library first printings that I was missing.

Mr. Babbacombe Dies by Miles Burton is one of 50 published in 1942 by Toronto's Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada.


Here is complete list - 1942 White Circle.

White Circle N - 1942

White Circle N back