Samuel Beckett’s working draft for his first novel “Murphy” sold for £962,500 at Sotheby’s
in London today. It was bought by the University of Reading. Interest was global and Sotheby’s described the six handwritten exercise books dating between August 1935 and June 1936 as: “The most important manuscript of a complete novel by a modern British or Irish writer to appear at auction for many decades”. It had been estimated at £800,000-1.2 million.
Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Reading, commented: “It is important that world-renowned institutions such as the University of Reading can continue to fund access to knowledge and the best resources for researchers and students. The acquisition of Murphy will provide unparalleled opportunities to learn more about one of the greatest writers in living memory, if not all time.”
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for May 31, 2013).