Writers' autograph manuscripts, work drafts, handwritten notebooks, autograph poems, romantic manuscript fragments

Autograph letter signed, partly unpublished, by Louis-Ferdinand Céline, addressed to his lawyer, Maître Thorvald Mikkelsen. Two pages written in blue ink on a large sheet of white paper; numbered “575” in Céline’s hand in red pencil at the top left corner.
Fold marks from mailing.
This letter was only partially transcribed in Année Céline 2005, p. 64.
 
A moving and bitter letter by Céline, who had just lost his aunt Amélie (the “Aunt Hélène” of Death on Credit), and witnesses the slow disappearance of the world he once knew. The writer finds solace in the memoirs of Élisabeth de Gramont, another...

Extremely rare autograph letter signed « Restif Labretone » addressed to Citoyenne Fontaine. Three pages written in black ink on a double sheet of laid paper. Remains of a wax seal, folds inherent to mailing. 
This letter was published, with some inaccuracies, in Lettres inédites de Restif de Labretone by V. Forest and É. Grimaud, 1883.

The set of largely unpublished autograph poems by Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac is brought together by the Count in a collection entitled Le Dernier Pli des neuf voiles, whose composition extends from his very first collection (Les Chauves-Souris, 1892) to his last trilogy (Offrandes, 1915).

Set of 620 autograph leaves. 532 unpublished, first draught, handwritten on the recto and numbered in pencil, preserved in 3 chemises in half red contemporary morocco, red morocco labels with gilt author and title; the poems are then placed in the chemises with a handwritten title and a number for publication. According to a note from the author...

Unique collection of documents (photographs, posters, etc.) and manuscripts relating to the confidential theatrical adaptation of Au beau rivage by an admirer from Le Mans of René Fallet.
In 1972, Claude-Denis Renard from Le Mans, a great admirer of René Fallet, contacted the latter so that he would accept a theatrical adaptation of his novel Au beau rivage published in 1970 and for which he received the Humor Prize. Animated by his usual kindness, the writer joyfully accepted, forgetting to inquire about the contingencies linked to the exploitation rights of the novel held by the production company Prothea, whose reaction was not long in coming...

Unpublished autograph letter signed by Max Jacob addressed to Fernand Pouey. One page written in black ink on a sheet.
Two transverse folds inherent to mailing.
Remarkable letter in which Max Jacob asks a strange favor of his friend: "Un de nos amis explose [sic] des tableaux 76 Fg St Honoré galerie Charpentier le 4 avril. J'ai des obligations à son endroit et je voudrais lui montrer des sentiments d'ailleurs plus ou moins sincères. Tu peux certainement signaler au critique d'art de la maison cette peinture sûrement honorable." ["One of our friends is exploding [sic] paintings 76 Fg St Honoré galerie Charpentier on April 4th. I have obligations...

Handwritten letter signed by Samuel Beckett addressed to Alain Bosquet.
Some lines written in black ink on watermarked paper.
“I do not have the slightest novelty to offer you [...] I very much regret.”

Three autograph letters signed by Gérard de Nerval (2 pages signed « Gérard »), Théophile Gautier (1 page), and a third, unsigned letter (1 page) penned by a certain « Robert » (cf. Nerval's letter)
 
Louis Desessart, Théophile Gautier's appointed publisher, co-published Nerval’s play Léo Burckart with Barba in 1839. Following financial difficulties, he was forced to take refuge « in that sad and charming city of Brussels ».
 
The three friends wrote this letter from Paris, where they had reunited following Nerval’s long journey to...

Autograph letter signed by Jules Romains to André Dignimont, two pages penned in black ink on a sheet of his personal letterhead.
Folding marks from mailing.

Autograph letter signed by Philippe Sollers addressed to his friend Jani Brun (8 lines in black ink) advising her on works by Samuel Beckett: "... Il faut prendre Molloy, je crois, si tu veux un "personnage" et montrer comment tout va vers l'Innommable (plus de "personnage", ça parle et reparle et déparle tout seul, pour toujours..." ["... You should take Molloy, I think, if you want a 'character' and show how everything moves toward The Unnamable (no more 'character', it speaks and speaks again and speaks away by itself, forever..."] 
Envelope included on which Philippe Sollers simply indicated the surname and first name of his correspondent, a date...

"Léger comme une antilope / Il dansait, fumant son clope / Une java pleine de syncopes / Elle en eut le coeur cassé"

"Palmiers de Tahiti / Chansons des plages bleues / Soleil de Tahiti / Que j'étais heureux"

Amis que je vous raconte / La vie triste et pleine de honte / D'un horrible mécréant / Qui mourut voici cent ans / Doué d'une...

Beautiful autograph letter signed by Colette addressed to her friend Bolette Natanson. Two pages written in ink on blue paper. Transverse creases inherent to the folding of the missive.
This letter was probably addressed to Bolette following a gift made to her "old friend": "Ah! dangerous Bolette! I can say nothing in front of you. Here are the two charming thick little vessels that emigrate to my home." This is an opportunity for Colette, very pleased with this new gift, to humorously devalue the designer's previous works: "From now on your frames are ugly, your mirrors troubled like an honest man's conscience, and your...

Fine autograph letter signed by Colette addressed to her friend Bolette Natanson. Two pages written in ink on blue headed paper from the Marignan building, the writer's residence between 1936 and 1938. Transverse folds inherent to the folding of the letter for mailing.
Moving letter addressed by Colette to her close friend following the death of her father Alexandre Natanson: "[...] ce dimanche va être un dimanche bien pénible. Je t'écris à l'heure juste où tu conduis ton père." ["this Sunday is going to be a very painful Sunday. I am writing to you at the very moment when you are laying your father to rest."] Conscious of the suffering and...