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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

William Faulkner at Sotheby's New York 11 June 2013

Sotheby’s New York is pleased to announce that it is to offer the largest and most important group of William Faulkner material ever to appear at auction on 11 June 2013. Estimated to fetch over $2 million, Property from the Descendants of William Faulkner contains a highly personal selection of letters, manuscript drafts, and drawings, providing a remarkable window into key moments of the celebrated author’s life, including his time in Paris in the 1920s as well as receipt of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Further glimpses into the private life of this public figure are offered by intimate gifts the author prepared by for his wife and daughter. A portion of the collection was only recently discovered on his family’s property in Virginia, including a number of items previously feared lost. Highlights will be on view at Sotheby’s Paris in late May and in New York in advance of the June sale.

“This archive is remarkable for the new insight it provides into how Faulkner explored his artistic future in 1920s Paris, how his principles informed the content of his novels, and how he struggled with life in Hollywood, among other topics,” commented Justin Caldwell, Vice President in Sotheby’s Books & Manuscripts Department. “The intimate nature of so many of these items speaks to Faulkner’s enduring relevance today, not only as one of the most important American authors of the 20th century, but as a writer who remains an essential figure to everyone from President Obama to Martin Scorsese, Oprah Winfrey to will.i.am, French President François Hollande and most currently James Franco, who is currently starring in and directing a film adaptation of As I Lay Dying.”



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