A scarce first edition of Jane Austen’s Emma sold
at auction for close to $400,000.

The triple-decker edition was inscribed on behalf of Austen to her close confidante, the governess Anne Sharp. One of only 12 presentation copies printed, which otherwise went to family members and publisher John Murray’s contacts, it was the only one given to a friend of the author. Yesterday’s auction at Bonhams in London was won by an anonymous British bidder, outstripping an anticipated sale price of £50-£70,000, the highest price ever paid for an Austen novel, and comfortably ahead of the £114,000 fetched

by a first edition of Wuthering Heights last November.

Both the buyer and the seller wanted to remain anonymous. The seller is said to be a descendant of the family of Richard Withers, who inherited Sharp’s property when she died. We do amazement who the buyer is.



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Original post by ReadersRead.com Book Blog