ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER in June/July
SALEROOM SPOTLIGHT
Ever wondered what really inspired some of the 20th-century’s literary giants? An auction of 89 first-edition books and works of art annotated by their authors gives a wonderful insight
F
rom Mark Haddon’s agent unknowingly lending his name to the rat in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, to a rant by John le Carre’s housemaster being used in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, the reason writers write what they do largely remains a mystery. But there is a wonderful opportunity for collectors and fiction aficionados to gain a unique insight into the minds of some of the 20th-century’s finest authors this month when 89 first-edition books and works of art annotated by their authors go up for sale. Notes include Margaret Atwood explaining the politics behind The Handmaid’s Tale and Salman Rushdie discussing how Midnight’s Children changed his life, with Quentin Blake providing an original drawing of the BFG. The annotations, in some cases totalling over 4,000 words, lift the curtain on the authors’ minds like nothing else.
Below John le Carré, (1931-2020). The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. First edition, London: Victor Gollancz, 1963
Top Some 89 first editions annotated by their authors go under the hammer this summer with estimates starting at £1,000
Below Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies. First edition, London: Fourth Estate, 2012
Above Mark Haddon, The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. First edition, London: Jonathan Cape, 2003
In most cases the annotations were added several years after publication, allowing authors to comment on the social mores of the time they were written. Monica Ali writes in her 2003 book Brick Lane: “Haven’t read BL in last 16 or 17 years. Sense of Trepidation. Also curiosity.” While on page 130 of The Handmaid’s Tale; next to the word “natalist” Margaret Attwood explains: “People said that.” On the title-page of Atonement, shortlisted for the 2001 Booker prize, author Ian McEwan reveals how fellow author Tim Garton Ash persuaded him to drop ‘An’ from the title. Below Atwood annotated the book author across 161 pages, with 1,137 words. It has an estimate of £4,000– £6,000
Above Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid’s Tale. First edition, London: Jonathan Cape, 1986
Above Le Carré passed
Above The Booker Prize-
away having annotated only the first 45 pages of his book. It has an estimate of £8,000£12,000
winning title includes detailed notes from Mantel. It has an estimate of £4,000-£6,000 at this month’s sale
30 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Below Haddon doodled throughout the book, including a spaceship on page 155. It has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 at this month’s sale
While some books include learned historical additions, Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, lines his pages with stars and drawings of space ships.
