Miskien Nooit: ’n Somerspel Author: André P. Brink

Miskien Nooit: ’n Somerspel (Elite Literary Association & Mystery Inscription Copy)

A Phenomenal Sestiger Artifact Featuring Decades of Personal Provenance and an Intimate, Playful Inscription by the Author

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Miskien Nooit: ’n Somerspel
• Author: André P. Brink
• Publisher: Human & Rousseau, Cape Town / Pretoria
• Publication Date: 1967
• ISBN-10: Not Explicitly Issued (First printing registry format)
• ISBN-13: 9780798113502 (Associated retrospectively with the text run)
• Edition Details: Authentic First Edition, First Printing. Unique Association Copy featuring two distinct handwritings spanning nearly forty years.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium textured hardcover boards, housed in the original illustrated dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 175 pages. Executed as a stylized "film-novel" narrative layout.
• Language: Afrikaans

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good (VG)
  • Top Inscription (1967): Written in an elegant, non-authorial contemporary script: “Vir Janna – Stellenbosch – 1967”.
  • Central Inscription (2004): Written thirty-seven years later, signed and dated directly by the author in his mature, authentic ink stroke: “Veertig jaar later in plaas van ’n bra. Hartlike nawense 06.11.04 André”.
• Exterior / Boards: The original cloth binding remains remarkably flat, rigid, and true. Faint edge friction consistent with standard archival storage over the decades. Spine is perfectly square and the joints are tight.
• Interior: The text block is robustly bound and secure. Pages are clean, bright, and completely free of watermarks, modern highlighters, or reader dog-ears.
• Provenance / Inscriptions: Features a complex and highly unique double inscription profile on the preliminary page written in two distinctly different handwritings:
• The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
• Condition Detail: The original illustrated jacket is whole and structurally complete. Faint, uniform age-toning to the spine and minor creasing along the extreme upper edges, with zero major paper losses or tears.
• Preservation: Now safely enclosed in a brand-new, archival-grade clear plastic cover to halt future environmental exposure and optimize storefront display.

Synopsis & Historical Value

Published in 1967 during the high era of the Sestigers literary movement, Miskien Nooit is one of André P. Brink’s most daring experimental works. Written as a "film-novel," it utilizes a camera-eye lens perspective to deconstruct the creative writing process, blurring the lines between memory, fiction, and shifting desire. 

Archival Research & Inscription Provenance:
This specific copy is a literary artifact of profound intimacy and mystery. Forensic examination reveals that the two inscriptions are written in completely different hands. The top note—“Vir Janna – Stellenbosch – 1967”—was almost certainly written by a third party, likely a mutual friend, admirer, or "Janna" herself upon acquiring the book in Stellenbosch during its publication year. "Janna" captures a fascinating glimpse into Brink's academic circle. 

On November 6, 2004, thirty-seven years after the book was first marked, it was presented back to André P. Brink, who recognized the volume and added his own authentic, deeply personal, and characteristically provocative response directly beneath the original note. His inscription (“Veertig jaar later in plaas van ’n bra. Hartlike nawense 06.11.04 André”) uses sharp, typical Brinkian wit to play with themes of sensuality, memory, and aging—playfully joking that his warm wishes arrive forty years later "instead of a bra." This magnificent crossover of handwritings turns this used collectible book into an irreplaceable piece of South African literary heritage.

Author Profile: André P. Brink

André Philippus Brink (1935–2015) was a giant of modern South African fiction, renowned for introducing complex psychological framing and raw sensuality into a conservative literary landscape. A Nobel Prize nominee and Hertzog Prize winner, his works pushed structural boundaries and challenged global censorship laws. 

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