Lot #24: Pair of Rare Latvian Exile First Editions by Tālivaldis Ķikauka: "Tramvajs Tukšnesī" (1965

Pair of Rare Latvian Exile First Editions by Tālivaldis Ķikauka: "Tramvajs Tukšnesī" (1965) & "Leonards" (1967) – Tilta Apgāds Set of two rare hardcover Latvian exile literature first editions written by the prominent Latvian surrealist and modernist author Tālivaldis Ķikauka. Both volumes feature stunning, vibrant green linen-cloth bindings adorned with highly detailed geometric folk tooling and traditional Baltic ornamentation stamped in gilt across the spines. The two volumes included are: 1. Tramvajs Tukšnesī (Tramway in the Desert) (1965): A collection of compelling short stories and novellas featuring striking modernist illustrations by artist Ilgvars Šteins. 2. Leonards (1967): A celebrated fantastic/satirical novel written and uniquely illustrated by Tālivaldis Ķikauka himself. This copy includes its original printed epigraph page reading: "Šī grāmata ir atklāta vēstule kādam cilvēkam, kura rokās ir daudzu mūsu likteņi" ("This book is an open letter to a person in whose hands lie the destinies of many of us"). Collector Notes & Significance • The Publisher (Tilta Apgāds): Published by Tilta Apgāds based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Following World War II, a vibrant community of Latvian displaced persons and intellectual exiles established independent publishing houses in the West to preserve Latvian culture, language, and avant-garde literature free from Soviet censorship. Books from Tilta Apgāds are highly sought after by collectors of diaspora and exile literature due to their limited print runs and high-quality production standards. • The Author (Tālivaldis Ķikauka): Ķikauka (1914–2000) was a pivotal figure in Latvian exile prose, known for blending sharp satire with surrealism, science fiction, and modernism. His works often critique elements of mass culture, cybernetics, and automation. • Language & Rarity: Entirely written in Latvian. Because these volumes were printed outside of Latvia during the occupation and distributed strictly within a niche diaspora network, surviving copies in clean, uniform condition are scarce. Pickup category timeslot {A}