Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

A giant of American 20th century literature, Ernest Hemingway's influence continues to ripple through today’s writers. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. His novel A Farewell to Arms (1929) was based on his experiences as an ambulance driver on the Italian Front in WW1 and is among the best fiction to come out of the First World War. Forum Auctions will be offering a first edition of A Farewell to Arms in their auction this September (Lot 344). It is an attractive dust-jacketed example of one of Hemingway's key novels.

In our Fine Pen auction, we are pleased to be offering the Ernest Hemingway limited edition ballpoint pen (Lot 69), and the limited edition fountain pen (Lot 70). Released in 1992, this was the first in the Writers Edition collection and is now considered one of the most desirable models from the series.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

Considered one of the great Victorian English novelists, Charles Dickens is celebrated for his contribution to classic English literature. His works include Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Pickwick Papers, A Tale of Two Cities, as well as the cherished Christmas tale, A Christmas Carol.

Our sale offers the Charles Dickens limited edition fountain pen (Lot 18). With a green resin barrel and silver cap, it features a copy of Charles Dickens's signature on the barrel. The white and yellow gold nib, features the initials 'CD' in beautiful scroll script. Forum Auctions, will then be offering Lot 286, fourteen volumes of works by Dickens handsomely bound, including the aforementioned titles. 

Jules Verne (1828-1905)

Jules Verne was a 19th century French novelist known for his pioneering science fiction novel series Voyages extraordinaires which included more than 60 works. In our pen auction, we are pleased to be offering Lot 132, the Jules Verne limited edition three pen set, featuring a fountain pen, ballpoint pen and propelling pencil. The set is designed with blue engine turned guilloche enamel lacquer with a design which resembles the sea. The nib then features an etched diver's helmet, as a nod to Verne's adventure story, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.

Forum Auctions will be offering a second American edition of Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas with illustrations by Alphonse de Neuville and Edouard Riou (Lot 310). Published in 1873, this is one of the earliest editions available, due to the exceptional rarity of the first edition, as the majority of the stock was thought to have been lost in the Great Boston Fire of 1872. 

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

Virginia Woolf was a pivotal novelist and publisher of the 20th century. A central member of the 'Bloomsbury Group,' she also co-founded the Hogarth Press with her husband, Leonard Woolf. Her debut novel, The Voyage Out, was published in 1915, and she later emerged as a leading figure in modernism. Forum Auctions will be offering a first edition of The Years by Virginia Woolf (Lot 371). Published by the Hogarth Press in 1937, this was the last work she published in her lifetime.

We are pleased to be offering the Virginia Woolf limited edition three pen set in our upcoming auction (Lot 166). The set comprises a fountain pen, ballpoint pen, and pencil, all crafted from black guilloche resin with gold-plated trim. Inspired by Virginia Woolf's The Waves, the barrel and cap feature a wave-like design. Each piece is adorned with a faceted ruby, symbolizing Woolf's avant-garde style. The nib of the fountain pen is then engraved with elm trees, paying homage to Woolf's final resting place beneath the trees at her Sussex estate.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens "Mark Twain" (1835-1910)

Named the "father of American literature", Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name "Mark Twain", is famous for his works The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He also wrote Life on the Mississippi, a memoir recounting his experiences before the American Civil War as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, along with reflections on his journeys along the river after the war.

In 2010 Montblanc released the Mark Twain limited edition fountain pen (Lot 28). It was designed in a navy blue resin and engraved with intercepting woven lines, as a reflection of the river that inspired Clemens throughout his life. The nib also features an engraving of rope to continue the river theme.

The Forum Auctions book auction includes a number of first editions by Samuel Langhorne Clemens "Mark Twain", including Life on the Mississippi, The Prince and the Pauper, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Lots 312-320). A particular highlight is Lot 312, a superb example of Twain's classic work of children's literature, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Carlo Lorenzini "Carlo Collodi" (1826-1890)

Italian author, humourist and journalist, Carlo Lorenzini, or better known by his pen name Carlo Collodi, was most famous for his novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Forum Auctions will be offering a first American edition of this work by Collodi (Lot 380). This rare American issue of this children's classic, uses the English sheets with the cancelled title The Story of a Puppet, and features the new publisher's imprint at foot of spine.

It was in 2011 that Montblanc released the rather fun and playful Carlo Collodi limited edition fountain pen (Lot 29). Honouring Collodi's beloved character Pinocchio, the cap is crafted from pierced gilt metal, featuring depictions of Pinocchio and some of the characters he encounters on his adventures, including the whale, fox, cat, cricket, and good fairy. The clip incorporates a screw, symbolizing the joints of a puppet, while the barrel is adorned with a gold-plated cone representing Pinocchio's famous long nose. As a final touch, the nib is engraved with a cricket.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Jonathan Swift was a satirist author, essayist, poet and political pamphleteer active in the 17th and 18th centuries. He is best remembered for his works, Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal, and A Tale of a Tub. Offered in the Forum Auctions sale is Lot 280, 24 volumes of Jonathan Swift's works published in 1766.

The Jonathan Swift limited edition fountain pen was released by Montblanc in 2012 (Lot 30). It is cleverly designed using imagery from Gulliver's Travels.The pen's black resin cap and barrel are adorned with a swirling band design, mimicking the strings that bound Gulliver to the island of Lilliput. The clip is crafted to resemble the staircase the mayor of Lilliput ascends to address Gulliver, while the cap is shaped to echo the distinctive tricorne hat worn by Gulliver.

Homer

Homer was an Ancient Greek poet, credited as the author of the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. Forum Auctions are pleased to be offering a copy of The Odyssey, chronicling the story of Odysseus and his tumultuous ten year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War (Lot 417). Translated by T.E.Lawrence, it is one of 530 copies, printed and published by Sir Emery Walker, Wilfred Merton and Bruce Rogers in 1932. It was designed by Bruce Rogers and printed in Monotype Centaur on pale grey paper, with illustrations printed as roundels in black on gold, depicting Greek vase paintings.

Taking inspiration from The Iliad, Montblanc released the Homage to Homer limited edition fountain pen in 2018 (Lot 36). Elegantly designed in black resin with platinum coated clip and fittings, the faceted shape of the barrel is inspired by the Trojan Horse, while the clip is modelled as the spear of Achilles, and the nib is engraved with the Greek hero's helmet. The fittings are then finished with motifs from Greek pottery. It is interesting to note that this is the only model in the series not to feature a facsimile signature, as the ancient Greek poet's actual signature is unknown.

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had many attributes, writing science fiction – including The Lost World (1912) – and books on Spiritualism, as well as being a cricketer for the MCC. However, he is of course best remembered for his creation of arguably the greatest fictional detective of them all – Sherlock Holmes. Forum Auctions will be offering two lots with works by the author. Firstly, there is Lot 322, which features first editions of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This is a a superb set of the complete Sherlock Holmes short stories, and is rare to find in such condition. The other is Lot 323, a first edition of The Hound of the Baskervilles.

One of the more recent releases in the Montblanc series, we have Lot 39, the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle limited edition fountain pen which was released in 2021. The edition we have is made from a blue-grey resin and decorated with a plaid pattern, as a reference to Holmes' coat, as well as parts of a historic London map, the city where he was based at 221B Baker Street. The clip is shaped as Holmes' magnifying glass, and the cap features the initials 'JB', for Joseph Bell, the real person who inspired the character. Finally, the nib features an engraved portrait of Arthur Conan Doyle, depicted with flying dinosaurs from The Lost World, another work from his oeuvre.

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Dreweatts | Auction Details

Fine and Limited Edition Pens

Thursday 26 September, 10.30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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VIEWING:

• Viewing in Newbury:
  • Friday 20 September: 10am-4pm
  • Saturday 21 September: 10am-3pm
  • Sunday 22 September: 10am-3pm
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  • Tuesday 24 September: 10am-4pm
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• Remote Viewing Service | Available from Friday 20 September

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Forum Auctions | Auction Details

Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper

Thursday 26 September, 10.30am BST
Forum Auctions, 4 Ingate Place, Battersea, London SW8 3NS

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VIEWING:

Viewing is available at Forum Auctions from Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 5.00pm (by appointment only). To book an appointment please email info@forumauctions.co.uk.