A collection of nearly 50 letters written by poet T S Eliot to his godson Tom Faber are to be auctioned next month. The letters, revealed for the first time yesterday make for delightful reading and reflect great tenderness and imagination.
The letters will be sold by the Faber publishing family who expect £25,000 to £30,000 for the series. The earliest letters in the collection were written between 1930 and 1936 and contain poems and illustrations that later formed the basis for ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’ a children’s book published in 1939. These verses had also inspired the very popular musical ‘Cats’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber in recent times.
Tom Faber’s widow Elisabeth said there was great affection between the poet and her husband who always referred to the former as ‘Uncle Tom’, rarely as a poet or a scholar. He often reminisced about the times together when he was a small child and Eliot already a well-known poet. Faber’s father Geoffrey Faber was T S Eliot’s friend and publisher.
The letters are sure to find ready buyers among those who love Eliot’s poetry. Auction house Bonhams’ manuscript consultant Felix Pryor said the letters include many amusing poems that were “enormous fun’ to read.
Eliot had for many years worked as an editor for the publishing house until he became a director himself. He is regarded by many as the greatest poet of the 20th century.
The auction is scheduled for September 20. The collection includes ‘The Waste Land’ a first edition copy with inscription by the poet himself. This book alone could sell for £30,000 to £40,000. A larger collection of 84 letters that were written to Enid Faber - Tom’s mother, are expected to sell for £15,000-£20,000. These are typed and signed simply as ‘Tp’ or ‘Tom’.

Posted: 08|18|05 at 10:07 am. Filed under: UK News.