SEBASTIAN BARRY (b.1955) - photo 1
SEBASTIAN BARRY (b.1955) - photo 2
SEBASTIAN BARRY (b.1955) - photo 3
SEBASTIAN BARRY (b.1955) - photo 4
SEBASTIAN BARRY (b.1955) - photo 5

SEBASTIAN BARRY (b.1955)

Lot 9
12.07.2022 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 2 772
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 794270
Lot 9 | SEBASTIAN BARRY (b.1955)
Estimate value
£ 1 000 – 1 500
SEBASTIAN BARRY (b.1955)
The Secret Scripture. London: Faber and Faber, 2008.
A vibrant first edition, extensively annotated and illustrated by the author in colour pencil and black ink, with 733 words and 36 drawings across 72 pages. Winner of the Costa Book of the Year in 2008 and shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, Barry’s poignant novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 2016. The Secret Scripture deploys interwoven narratives to relay the story of Roseanne, a patient at Roscommon mental hospital in Sligo, Ireland, whose life mirrors developments in Irish history from the Victorian era to the modern age. This copy contains authorial annotations which give insights into the personal nature of the story and describe the psychology and motivations of its characters, while the expressive illustrations offer a unique visual insight into the workings of the author’s imagination. He is particularly engaging in his honesty about the process of writing: ‘I do remember the huge UNCERTAINTY of writing this book – but also the serenity of the process. How the book unfolded naturally day by day’. An additional hand-written note from the author to the buyer is loosely inserted, as well as a newspaper clipping from the Guardian (28.02.09), featuring an article on the room in which Barry wrote the novel.

Octavo. Original grey boards, black lettering to the spine, pictorial dust jacket.
Place of origin:United Kingdom
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.06.2022 – 12.07.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.