Oxford University’s Bodleian Library paid $1.6 million for 68 pages from Jane Austen‘s unfinished manuscript, The Watsons–far exceeding expectations for the auction.
The handwritten manuscript actually includes the author’s editing notes. However, New York’s Morgan Library and Museum owns the first 12 pages of the work.
The AP had the scoop: “Sotheby’s books specialist Gabriel Heaton said the heavily corrected draft ‘has afforded an extremely broad audience an insight into the author’s writing process and reworkings.’ Sotheby’s says it is the only major manuscript by the author still in private hands.”