The Olivia Collection | 1962–2006, complete set of 40 Dick Francis first editions, each signed and inscribed by Dick Francis

The Olivia Collection — forty signed and inscribed first editions spanning Dick Francis’s entire career, presented to his close friend and secretary, Olivia Herbert.

The complete Dick Francis, told through forty years of friendship and inscription.

Known as The Olivia Collection, this remarkable set comprises forty first editions of every novel by Dick Francis, each one signed and personally inscribed to his friend and secretary, Olivia Herbert. The inscriptions chart Francis’s writing life from Dead Cert (1962) to Under Orders (2006), the final novel completed with his son Felix.

Herbert worked closely with Francis during the 1980s and 1990s, becoming both his secretary and trusted friend. Each inscription reflects the warmth and humour of their relationship, forming a unique record of Francis’s career as one of Britain’s most successful and enduring crime novelists. The association is confirmed in writing by Felix Francis.

Each volume is a first edition, fine in near fine to fine dust jackets. Collectively, the set traces the evolution of Francis’s signature style: the stoic, self-reliant hero, the meticulous realism of professional life, and the moral resilience at the heart of his fiction. From the racetrack of Dead Cert to the aviation world of Rat Race and the art world of In the Frame, these novels defined the British thriller for a generation.

A truly exceptional and possibly unique collection, offering a personal narrative of friendship, loyalty, and literary craft spanning more than four decades.

Provenance:
From the library of Olivia Herbert, personal friend and secretary to Dick Francis. Provenance confirmed by Felix Francis.