Donated special edition literary classic 'Ulysses' expected to make hundreds under the hammer after nearly being sold for a quid!

I discovered this special edition in relatively good condition amongst a pile of Thomas Hardy books donated from a gentleman we’d not seen in the shop before and none of us knew.

 My role as a volunteer is to sort through the books donated to us and fill the shelves with a variety of different genres. I have a real love of books, have done since a child, and when I saw this Ulysses edition, I knew I’d stumbled on a real gem – I’ve been treating it with kid gloves ever since.

People might have the perception our bookshelves are filled with your stereotypical romance titles…. your Mills and Boon or Barbara Cartlands, but over the past few years that’s changed. We now stock a vast array of niche books - educational books, children’s books, first editions, classics and so much more, great for collectors and families alike.

We’re grateful for this donation, the proceeds of which will help us support and care for cancer patients

I honestly might have sold this book for a quid and wouldn’t have had a clue if it weren’t for Frankie’s stellar knowledge of books and eagle-eye.

It just goes to show what can come through our doors and how our charity shops can be a treasure trove of interesting and potentially valuable donated objects – we’re just not all about clothes.

However, what’s really fascinating about this book is its history. This edition of Ulysses has been on an intriguing journey. The Summonses are not being auctioned and have no worth but the story behind this edition is just as exciting as the fact it’s so rare and we’d love to find out more about this book’s history and its original owner!

We are delighted to have been chosen to offer for sale a rare 1936 edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, in our ‘Selections & Collections’ sale on March 16^th.

Originally published in 1922, this year marks the centenary of the publication of the novel called by Vladimir Nabokov ‘the greatest masterpiece of 20^th Century prose’.

Celebrations culminating on Bloomsday (June 16^th) are expected to be massive with cultural events taking place in Dublin, Belfast, Budapest and Paris for “Ulysses Journey 2022” from February to June.

Expectations are high that the lot will achieve in the region of £800 at the auction, with proceeds going to benefit Tenovus Cancer charity, and Rogers Jones & Co. are happily reducing their selling fees to reflect this.