Joyce letters to sell in London today

Love letters sent by James Joyce to his wife are expected to sell for thousands of euro when they go under the hammer at auction in London today.

Among them is an erotic correspondence from Joyce to Nora Barnacle previously thought lost.

Unseen by scholars, the sexually explicit letter was written by Joyce in the winter of 1909 after the Irishman’s return to Dublin without Nora for the first time since the couple’s elopement.

The modernist writer addresses his wife as a “wild eyed whore”, describing how he wishes to satisfy his lust for her.

With an estimated price of €90,000, the letter is said to be remarkable because of Joyce’s well documented hatred of obscene jokes and swearing.

Less erotic and more romantic in tone are two other love letters from Joyce to Nora written before they eloped from Dublin to Trieste in 1904.

The love letters are part of a collection of writings relating to the modernist writer on sale at Sotheby’s in London.

The collection, formerly owned by Joyce’s brother Stanislaus, includes one of the earliest presentation copies of the modernist writer’s famous novel Ulysses.

It bears an inscription to Joyce’s brother written nine days after publication which reads: “To Stannie Jim Paris 11 February 1922.”

The presentation copy, the earliest in existence, is expected to sell for up to €150,000.

Joyce’s own proof sheets for the abandoned 1910 edition of Dubliners, also thought to have been destroyed, will also go under the hammer today. It is expected to sell for up to €150,000.

The items are part of the English Literature and History sale at the Sotheby’s auction on New Bond Street.