Care of Books

From Newnes Household Encyclopaedia (London, 1931.)

Books. To preserve from insects.
If books are occasionally dusted over with a mixture of white pepper and powdered alum they will be insured against the attacks of insects.

A more modern recipe, taken from anecdotal evidence, is one to rid a book of unpleasant odours (especially tobacco smoke). Place the book in a container of wood chip based cat litter so that is submerged and leave it there for 48 hours. The idea is that the chips will extract objectionable smells. Books reeking of tobacco have become hard to sell...

Francis King

Francis King (4 March 1923 - 3 July 2011), acclaimed novelist, poet, critic and editor. President Emeritus of International PEN and appointed  CBE in 1985. He came out in the 1970s and wrote his autobiography 'Yesterday Came Suddenly' in 1993, after the death of his long-term partner.

3 photos of him with his cat in London by the US photographer Miriam Berkley. The envelope is dated 1991. The Daily Telegraph obituary said 'he was naturally reticent, concealing his inner turbulence from friends who saw only a witty and equable companion with exceptionally good manners.