There were records for first editions by John le Carré, Hilary Mantel, David Mitchell, Tom Stoppard, Alan Bennett and Salman Rushdie at Christie’s online sale of First Editions, Second Thoughts: An Auction in support of English PEN which ran from June 28 – July 12. The sale of 89 lots brought in £515,844, more than double the low estimate. Each work was personally annotated by the artist or author to include their insights, recollections, thoughts or illustrations, creating a unique and covetable collector’s item. The proceeds raised from the sale will fund English PEN’s work to defend free expression and campaign for writers who are at risk.
Among the highlights were: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. London: Victor Gollancz, 1963 (Estimate £8,000 – 12,000), realised £35,280; Hilary Mantel (b. 1952), Bring Up the Bodies. London: Fourth Estate, 2012. (Estimate £4,000 – 6,000), realised £30,240; David Mitchell (b.1969), Cloud Atlas. London: Sceptre, 2004(Estimate £4,000 – 6,000), realised £27,720; Tom Stoppard (b.1937), Leopoldstadt. London: Faber and Faber, 2020 (Estimate £2,000 – 3,000), realised £21,420; Alan Bennett (b.1934), The History Boys. London: Faber and Faber, 2004. (Estimate £4,000 – 6,000), realised £17,640; Thomas Keneally (b.1935), Schindler’s List. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982. (Estimate £3,000 – 5,000), realised £16,380; Quentin Blake (b.1932, illustrator), – Roald Dahl (1916–1990). The BFG. London: Jonathan Cape, 1982 (Estimate £6,000 – 9,000), realised £13,860; Salman Rushdie, (b.1947), Midnight’s Children. London: Jonathan Cape, 1981. (Estimate £4,000 – 6,000), realised £11,970; Margaret Atwood (b.1939), The Handmaid’s Tale. London: Jonathan Cape, 1986. (Estimate £4,000 – 6,000), realised £11,340.
English PEN is one of the world’s oldest human rights organisations which champions the freedom to write and the freedom to read around the world, and is the founding centre of PEN International, a worldwide writers’ association with 145 centres in more than 100 countries.
