Pinter, Harold

including two exuberant and absurdist early letters on his early attempts at writing ("...that great work - Dos passos at Knassos, or who buggered the starting block..."), requesting the return of his copy of Beckett's Murphy, describing the urinary habits of Rabbis ("...they save it up, they're too preoccupied with other things, but one winter they'll let out a barrelful, two barrelfuls, stand there evening and afternoon, in the openair privy in the pouring rain, full of contemplation...") and writing at some length on the failure of The Birthday Party in London, blaming it on "the London popular press boys", the later letters mostly about meetings but admitting "It's been a hell of a year" following his separation from his first wife, 12 pages, folio, 4to, and 8vo, three envelopes, various locations, 29 March [1955] to 14 November [1975], with one related letter and four later notes contextualising the letters by Monica Sharrocks ("M.S."), the earlier letters with scattered nicks and tears, especially at folds, some spotting

[with:] Typescript copies of four works: "Kullus", 2 pages; "The Examination", 4 pages, three autograph corrections; "The Error of Alarm", 1 page; "The Task", 1 page; carbon copies, 1950s, rust marks, some creasing and tears 

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Exceptional early letters by the Nobel Laureate widely acknowledged as Britain's greatest post-war dramatist. Denys Sharrocks was an English teacher with strong interests in poetry and literature (he had recently returned from Greece, where he had befriended the young John Fowles) and his wife, Monica, was an actress. They met Pinter when he was a young actor touring in Huddersfield in 1954 and a friendship soon blossomed. Pinter was keen to have Sharrock's opinion on his writing: the current lot includes typescripts of some of Pinter's earliest works (written between 1949 and 1955), and he also asked Denys Sharrocks for comment on the manuscript of his autobiographical novel The Dwarfs - "cut, focus, pare-down" was the response.