Letter by Roald Dahl on his storytelling secrets smashes expected auction price
A handwritten letter by children's author Roald Dahl which reveals his secrets to good storytelling has gone under the hammer in Staffordshire, smashing its expected sale price.
Derbyshire-based auctioneers Hanson's expected it to go for up to £800 but it ended up being sold for £2,200.
The letter is dated August 2 1989, and showcases Roald Dahl's opinion of his own work, and his determination to inspire more children to get reading.
It was a letter to a librarian called Christine Wotton, who said she wrote to Mr Dahl "speculatively" as a 20-year-old student as she studied for a degree in literature and linguistics in the late 1980s.
The letter reads:
Miss Wotton said she stumbled upon Dahl's address in the back of an old library book.
"On a whim I asked him questions which intrigued me regarding his style and attitude towards children's literature, never really dreaming of a response.
"So, I was amazed to receive a chatty double-sided, handwritten A4 reply, plus another dissertation which he lent me, presumably written in his famous garden shed, discussing the importance of reading for children and referring to his newly published book Matilda, now a movie and West End musical."
She added: "As he indicated himself, it was unusual for him to reply to letters like mine, so I really struck lucky. With the happy-go-lucky optimism of youth, I don't think I fully appreciated my good fortune."
The letter went under the hammer on Tuesday, June 15 in Hansons' specialist library auction at Bishton Hall in Staffordshire.
Addressing the reasons for selling the letter, Miss Wotton said: "I've enjoyed and treasured the letter for over 30 years and the time has come to share it, for others to read and enjoy his wise words which are dashed off in his wonderfully inimitable, flamboyant style.
"As the youngest of six children, I always battled with naughty decrepit hand-me-down hairy ponies, so proceeds will go towards a horse to compete whilst I'm still courageous enough and young enough to bounce a bit.
"I like to think Dahl, with his no-nonsense attitude, would approve of my get up and go."
Commenting on the item, Jim Spencer, head of books and works on paper at Hansons, said: "This is important. It's unusual to see such conversational correspondence from a big name like this.
"Most autograph letters that come up for sale are typed, brief, almost generic responses.
"This is quite different, it gives us an insight into Dahl's creativity and craft, his passion for making reading fun, encouraging children to pick up books and take a love of literature with them throughout the rest of their lives."