Samuel Beckett - Writing His Biography For A Student - Letter Signed 1962

Original and amusing letter signed.

"1937. M'installe à Paris. 1938. Begins to write in French..."

Signed typescript letter from Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) to Jean Demelier (1940-2023), poet, draughtsman and writer.

Paris, May 23, 1962. Two pages in-4 (27 x 21 cm). Envelope and stamp preserved with handwritten inscriptions and drawings (possibly Jean Demelier).

Very original and amusing typed biography, with autograph corrections and signed by the writer to the 22-year-old student (Cf infra) a few years before he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969. The first major, official biography of Samuel Beckett would be written by the American Deirdre Bair (published in 1978), later followed by James Knowlson's monumental Damned to Fame (1996), which Beckett himself had expressly authorized.

Beckett mentions in this letter very personal information about his family, his studies, the public reaction to his publications "Up to Malloy total indifference", evokes Proust and unpublished material ...

"

23.5.62. 38 Bld ST Jacques, Paris 14e

Dear Sir

Thank you for your letter of May 20.

Born 1906 in Dublin to Irish (though Protestant) parents.

Father: William Frank Beckett. Quantity surveyor. Died 1933.

Mother: Mary née Roe. Nurse before her marriage. Died in 1950.

An older brother: Frank Edward. Engineer. Died 1954.

Education.

1917-20. Earlsfort House School, Dublin.

1920-23. Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.

1923-27. Trinity College, Dublin. Diploma in French and Italian

Teaching.

1928-30. Lecteur ~~d'allemand~~ d'anglais à L'Ecole Normale Supérieure.

1930-32. Lecturer in French at Dublin University (Trinity College). Intended at that time to become a teacher. Resigned in 1932 and gave up teaching.

1932-37. Vadrouille: Dublin, London, Paris, Germany.

Starts writing in French

Publications: see Kenner page 26.

Public reaction: up to Molloy total indifference.

Miscellaneous.

Married.

First trip abroad: 1926. Touraine Tours. Several months.

First book, Proust, a commission from Editions Chatto & Windus. Didn't think about becoming a writer at the time.

Still unpublished Mercier et Camier and Eleuthéria.

Literary and political events: none.

Began to earn a living teaching. From 1933 an annuity of 200 pounds per year (my father's will). For 10 years has lived off my royalties.

Does not write in newspapers, very little in magazines.

No side business.

I am sending you Kenner's book today.

Cordially yours.

[Handwritten signature]

Samuel Beckett

In 1962, as a student at the École normale, Jean Demelier devoted his dissertation to the work of Samuel Beckett, which fascinated him. He wrote to Beckett through Éditions de Minuit. Touched by the young man's approach, Beckett sent him his books and these typed biographical notes to help him with his university research. The two men would remain close friends.

An exhibition briefcase in Plexiglas is enclosed.