Austen novel to stay in England despite record sale to America

A BOOK by Jane Austen that sold for a record price is to go on display in a British museum after its American buyer insisted it stay in the UK.

The first edition of Emma sold for £375,000, the highest amount for any printed work by the novelist.

The three-volume book – which carries the handwritten message “From the author” inside – will be displayed at Chawton House, Hants, the former home of the novelist’s brother Edward.

Peter Harrington, the London dealership that sold the book, helped connect the buyer to Chawton after learning he wishes the book to remain in England.

As was the custom at the time, the book is inscribed by the publisher rather than Austen herself and was presented to the recipient at the author’s request. Austen is not known to have signed any of her books herself.

All three volumes also bear the ownership signature of recipient Anne

Sharp who was a close friend of Austen.

Released for publication in 1815, Emma was the last of Austen’s novels to be published during her lifetime.

Pom Harrington, owner of Peter Harrington, said: “The buyer of this unique copy of Austen’s Emma, who resides in the US, expressed his wish for the work to stay in England and asked if we could recommend a suitable institute or museum which would be happy to receive the book as a deposit. We immediately thought of Chawton House, given its connections to both Austen and her brother Edward, as Anne Sharp served as governess to his children.”

Adam Douglas, senior specialist at the dealer, said: “This book was sent by Austen to a friend who gave her critical feedback. This is someone she really knew intimately.”

The book is due to go on display at Chawton – which lies close to the novelist’s former home, now known as Jane Austen’s House – early next year, to coincide with celebrations to mark the museum’s 20th anniversary.

An American has just bought a three-volume first edition of Jane Austen’s Emma inscribed “From the author” for £350,000. It isn’t even inscribed by the author. The publisher did that for her, and sent it to a friend of hers called Anne Sharp. Miss Sharp was of the insecure governess class with whom the novelist had some sympathy. Now the kindly American has donated the edition to the collection at Chawton House, the Hampshire home of Jane Austen’s brother, who changed his name to Knight to benefit from a will. But it would be most unwise to let Austen fans handle the books, or the very thing they admire would soon be ruined. As for Anne Sharp, her view of Emma was middling; she liked it, she told her friend, “better than Mansfield Park – but not so well as Pride & Prejudice”.