An important handwritten letter by Roald Dahl – considered one of the world’s best storytellers – has smashed its estimate at auction.
The letter, dated August 2, 1989, sparked major national news coverage following its discovery by Hansons Auctioneers. In the letter, Dahl opened up about the secrets of good storytelling, provided a rare insight into his opinion of his own work and revealed his determination to get children reading.
The letter went under the hammer on June 15 at Hansons’ country house saleroom, Bishton Hall in Staffordshire, with a guide price of £500-£800. However, thanks to strong interest online and a phone bidder, the item was contested to £2,200 and sold to a UK buyer.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “I think this was a case of Charlie and the amazing auction factory! Dahl was a huge talented and sadly missed. Nevertheless, his extraordinary imagination lives on thanks to his many books and the films they inspired.
“We’re thrilled for our client that this letter did well but not at all surprised. Dahl’s work has brought immense joy to people across the world for decades. It’s also helped countless children learn to read and appreciate books.”
The owner and recipient of the letter, Christine Wotton, a librarian and housekeeper from Chagford, Devon, wrote to Dahl when she was a student, but wasn’t expecting a reply. She found the author’s address in the back of an old library book and was surprised to elicit such a passionate response from him.
In the letter, Dahl writes: “Never shelter children from the world … the ‘content’ of any children’s book is of no importance other than that it enthrals the child – and thus it teaches or seduces him or her to ‘like’ books and to become a fit reader – which is vital if that child is going to amount to anything in later life.
“The book-reading child will always outstrip the non-book-reading child in later life. There are very few messages in these books of mine. They are there simply to turn the child into a reader of books. Damn it all, they are mostly pure fantasy. Have you read the latest one, Matilda? It seems to have broken every sales record in the history of hardback publishing.”
Describing the history of the letter, Miss Wotton said: “I wrote to Roald Dahl speculatively as a young student, aged 20, when I was writing a dissertation on his work for my BA Hons degree in Literature and Linguistics at Portsmouth Polytechnic in the late 1980s. I was staging a mini rebellion by focussing on controversial elements, ie violence, of Dahl’s books for children, as fellow students opted for a serious approach to the likes of Kafka, Shakespeare and Homer.
“I stumbled across Dahl’s address listed in the back of an old library book. Security was clearly rather more relaxed in those days. 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.
“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 note was discovered by Jim Spencer, head of books and works on paper at Hansons Auctioneers, when it was posted to the firm’s country house saleroom, Bishton Hall at Wolseley Bridge, Staffordshire.
Jim said: “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. Interestingly, he shared his valuable opinion the year before he passed away at the age of 74 in November 1990.
Miss Wotton contacted Hansons after deciding the time had come to sell. She said: “I enjoyed and treasured the letter for over 30 years but 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.”
The letter was sold in Hansons Auctioneers’ Library Auction at Bishton Hall, Staffordshire, on June 15.
