'Matilda' sells for £30,000 at auction for charity English PEN
Tuesday 28th May 2013
A first edition of Roald Dahl's classic work, 'Matilda' raised the sum at auction at Sotheby's in London on 21 May.
This edition has been augmented by new drawings by Quentin Blake of Matilda herself on onedouble page endpaper, titled 'The Reader of Books' (pictured); and on another endpaper, a drawing of her fearsome Headmistress, Miss Trunchbull.
The book was beaten into second place by a copy of J K Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' which boasted sketches and annoations by the author. A telephone bidder was successful with a bid of £150,000 for the unique first edition. A further 49 lots were sold in the charity's 'First Editions Second Thoughts' fundraising auction. The sale raised a total of £439,200.
Funds raised benefit the English PEN charity, which supports freedom to write and to read. Further information and a full roundup of the auction is given on the English PEN website.