Estimated to fetch between $100,000 and $150,000 at the Sotheby’s New York books and manuscripts sale on 11 June, this first edition of The Great Gatsby once belonged to the critic and author Malcolm Cowley who became one of the most influential figures of American letters. Cowley is known for championing generations of authors from Hart Crane and Faulkner - whose works he helped return to print - to John Cheever, Jack Keroauc and through to Ken Kesey.

To add to the charming and rather poetic history behind this first edition, in his copy of The Great Gatsby Cowley has transcribed over 100 notes and comments made by Fitzgerald in his personal copy which is now in the collection of Princeton University.

In addition to the importance of the work itself, which is deservedly hailed as one of the greatest achievements in 20^th Century American literature, the dust-jacket for Gatsby has also achieved iconic status, not only for the image but for the difficulty in obtaining an example in good condition. Wholly different in its deco style from the earlier book jackets and designed by Xavier Cugat’s brother, Francis, the cover image has become inextricably linked to the novel’s tone and themes.

The sale also includes other Fitzgerald material including a group of letters in which the author writes to the host of a dinner apologising for being inebriated at a party, along with an “unpunished” five stanza poem, estimated to fetch between $20,000 and $30,000. 

Today, Sotheby’s hosts auctions in eight different salesrooms, including New York, London, HongKong and Paris, and Sotheby’s BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids in real‐time from anywhere in the world.