An important first edition of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby will take centre stage at Sotheby's Books & Manuscripts auction in New York on June 11, as the blockbuster film remake hits cinemas worldwide.
 Cowley has transcribed 100 notes and comments from Fitzgerald's personal copy within this edition |
The first edition was owned by noted critic and author Malcolm Cowley, and is expected to sell for around $100,000-150,000. However, with the success of Baz Luhrmann's movie, it could far exceed this estimate.
Cowley is described by Sotheby's as one of the most influential figures of American letters, who is best remembered for championing important authors such as William Faulkner, Jack Kerouac and Ken Kesey.
Cowley is particularly renowned for his work on Fitzgerald, and added much input to the critical reassessment of his work that began following Fitzgerald's death in the 1940s.
In this copy of The Great Gatsby, Cowley has transcribed over 100 notes and comments originally made by Fitzgerald in his personal copy, which is now in the collection of Princeton University.
The copy will also be particularly sought after by collectors as it retains its original dust jacket, which is one of the most difficult to obtain in good condition.
Also featuring are a group of letters from Fitzgerald in which he writes to the host of a dinner party apologizing for being so drunk, as well as an unpublished five-stanza poem. The collection is valued at $20,000-30,000.
PFC Auctions currently has some brilliant literary memorabilia for sale, including Charles Dickens' walking stick, a fantastic collectible used by the legendary author as he traversed the streets of London looking for inspiration.
