World Record for Austen book

A new world record for a printed Jane Austen book was achieved yesterday at Bonhams in London. The June 24th sale saw a first edition of Emma auctioned to a telephone bidder for £180,000, over three times the estimated price. The three-volume set, first published in 1816, was one of 12 presentation copies the author sent to friends and family. The auctioned version was given to the novelist’s friend Anne Sharp, who had been governess to the children of Jane Austen’s brother, Edward. The anonymous British vendor of the book said: ‘The family are delighted with the price fetched today. The novel had been sitting in my family library for at least three generations.’