Archives and Heritage

Exposition - Twenty books from Samuel Beckett's library

From Paris to Antwerp

In February 2023, the University of Antwerp Library received an extensive collection of books from Samuel Beckett’s (1906-1989) personal library. These were brought over from the Parisian apartment of Edward Beckett, Samuel Beckett’s nephew and heir. He donated these books to The University of Reading, but, as part of the arrangement, the collection was placed on temporary loan to the University of Antwerp from 2023 to 2033. 

At UAntwerp, researchers have accumulated years of expertise around the multifaceted oeuvre of the famous Irish writer, including a focus on genetic criticism, the importance of reading and use traces, and their integration into digital text editions such as the Beckett Digital Manuscript Project (led by Dirk Van Hulle and Mark Nixon, who were on-site in Paris taking stock of Beckett's library). 

To celebrate 20 years of UAntwerp, the Special Collections Department is organizing a thematic exhibition for which Professor Dirk Van Hulle has selected twenty works. The works are grouped into five topics that shed light on Beckett's library. At the same time, each theme also refers to the relevance these unique sources have to the study of Beckett's life and work.

Practical ​

  • The physical exhibition runs from Nov. 29 to Dec. 20, 2023 in the University Library on the Stadscampus.   
  • Concept – Maartje De Wilde & Dirk Van Hulle 
  • Selection & texts – Dirk Van Hulle ​

Temporary loan at Special Collections

Upon arrival of this collection in Antwerp, all books were described in detail by the University Library cataloguers. Afterwards, all books were cleaned by a student worker and carefully stored in a secured warehouse. All items can be found in the library catalogue and can be consulted in the Special Collections reading room upon appointment.

Acknowledgements

The University of Antwerp and the Beckett International Foundation (at the University of Reading) are grateful to Edward Beckett for his generous donation of Samuel Beckett’s personal library. The University of Antwerp will house the collection until 2033, after which it will move to the University of Reading. 

Five topics

Beckett as a student

In the mid-1920s, Beckett studied French and Italian literature at Trinity College Dublin, as well as the history of anglophone literature. Beckett did not just accept what he read. If he disagreed with an author, he made it clear in the margins. For instance, he block-lettered 'NONSENSE' next to a passage in An Essay on Criticism where Alexander Pope praises Horace.

Shakespeare, of course, could not be missing from Beckett's student library, although there are relatively few traces of reading to be found in Beckett’s copy of Shakespeare’s complete works. Nevertheless, there are marginalia that show Beckett did continue to consult this edition throughout his life.

In the exposition

  • Thompson, A. Hamilton. A History of English Literature, and of the Chief English Writers (London: John Murray, 1914); signed: ‘S. B. Beckett / feb. 1923’. University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-THO-HIS 1914 
  • Pope, Alexander. An Essay on Criticism, ed. John Sargeaunt (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1909). University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-POP-ESS 1909 
  • Shakespeare, William. The Works of William Shakspeare (London / New York: Frederick Warne and Co, n.d.). University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-SHA-WOR 1896 
  • Renard, Jules. Le Journal de Jules Renard 1887–1910, Vol. 2 (Paris: François Bernouard, 1927). University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT B-REN-JOU 1927 

Beckett & illustrations

Beckett often found inspiration in illustrations. He was also deeply interested in visual arts. The images that stayed with Beckett were not always purely visual, but often philosophical or poetic. One of the images that made an impression on Beckett was George Berkeley's thesis that esse est percipi (to be is to be perceived) and the question of whether a tree thereby does not exist if nobody looks at it. Berkeley's answer to that question is yes, because God sees everything. Beckett builds on that image in Waiting for Godot, when Gogo portrays a tree (“do the tree”) and asks Didi: “Do you think God sees me?”

In the exposition

  • The Comprehensive Teacher's Bible (London: S. Bagster and Sons, n.d.).  University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT B-COM-COM SA
  • Arikha, Avigdor (pass.aut.), Channin, Richard et al. Arikha (Paris: Hermann, éditeurs des sciences et des arts, 1985). University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT C-CHA-ARI 1985
  • Heine, Heinrich. Buch der Lieder (Leipzig: Insel, n.d.).  University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-HEI-BUC SA 
  • Berkeley, George (Bishop). A New Theory of Vision and Other Select Philosophical Writings, ed. A. D. Lindsay (London: J. M. Dent; New York: E. P. Dutton, 1926 [1910]).  University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-BER-NEW 1926 

Intensive use

Beckett was not exactly a bibliophile. Quite a few books were ripped, such as Thierry Maulnier's Introduction à la poésie française. They were restored by crude means, using lots of duct tape. Books were there - especially in the earliest phase of Beckett’s career - primarily to satisfy his thirst for knowledge.

His books show many traces of reading, for instance characteristically dog-eared pages, as in the Encyclopedia Britannica (vol. 17). Those same dog ears appear in Beckett's copy of Darwin's Origin of Species. Beckett underlined only one passage in the book. However, the many dog ears betray that he consulted the book afterwards.

The amount of comments in the margins of Beckett’s books is limited, but those marginalia are sharp, revealing a witty sense of humour. For instance, he writes in the margins of Schopenhauer's complete works an explanation for the philosopher’s pessimism: he spent his life reading The Times (“Sch's pessimism explained. He read The Times all his life”).

In the exposition

  • Maulnier, Thierry. Introduction à la poésie française (Paris: Gallimard NRF, 1939). University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT B-MAU-INT 1939 
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. 25 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1910), 11th ed. Notes: lemma ‘Jan Steen’ cut out on page 867. University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT C-ENC-ENC-1910 
    Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. 17 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1910), 11th ed. University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT C-ENC-ENC-1910 
  • Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (London: Grant Richards, 1902). University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-DAR-ORI-1902 
  • Schopenhauer, Arthur. Sämmtliche Werke, Vol. 1 (Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1923). 2nd ed., Julius Frauenstädt (ed.) University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT B-SCH-SAM 1923 
  • La Sacra Bibbia (Roma: Società Biblica Britannica e Forestiera, 1924). Inscription: 'S. B. Beckett / Trinity College / Dublin' University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-SAC-SAC 1924​

Beckett's chess books

Beckett was an avid chess player. He studied the best games of grandmasters and his friends and colleagues often donated chess books to him. Chess also played a role in Beckett’s work. In his novel Murphy, the main character plays chess against Mr Endon, but gets absolutely no sense of what is going on in Mr Endon's head. Yet Beckett still writes out the entire course of their play. He studied every stage of chess and, among other things, had a copy of A.J. Roycraft's The Chess Endgame Study. This last stage, the endgame, became the title of Beckett's play Fin de partie / Endgame (1957/1958).

In the exposition

  • Alekhine, Alexander. My Best Games of Chess 1924-1937 (London: G. Bell and Sons, 1949 [1939]). University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT B-ALE-MYB 1949  
  • Fine, Reuben. Chess Marches On!: A Vivid Record of Chess Activities in the Leading Centres of the World (London: Sir Isaac Pitman, 1946 [1945]). Dedication: ‘For Sam / Beckett — for / Fin de Partie and / Commencement de notre partie / merci, bien / Alan Schneider / Oct 12, 1957’ University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT B-FIN-CHE-1946  
  • Roycraft, A.J. The Chess Endgame Study: A Comprehensive Introduction (New York: Dover, 1981 [1972]). University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT B-ROY-CHE 1981 

Dedicated to Beckett

Books can be a form of networking. Beckett's library contains many books sent to him by befriended writers and admirers of his work, usually with a dedication. Beckett received books from philosophers Theodor Adorno and Jacques Derrida, and famous writers such as Fernando Arrabal, who even named his son after Samuel Beckett out of admiration. 

Romanian essayist Emile Cioran sent a copy of his book De l'inconvénient d'être né to Beckett through his publisher on 16 November 1973. The two writers met on 8 December and it must have come up then that the book had never arrived. Cioran promptly sent a new copy the next day with an elaborate dedication, which includes mention of their fruitless attempt to translate the title of Beckett's Lessness into French. (The first copy, which never arrived, turned up in August 2023 and was offered for sale through AbeBooks).

In the exposition

  • Adorno, Theodor W. Noten zur Literatur (Frankfurt a.M.: Suhrkamp, 1958). Dedication: ‘Für Samuel Beckett / zur Erinnerung an den / 28. November 1958 / herzlichst / T. W. Adorno / Paris – Frankfurt’ University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-ADO-NOT 1958
  • Derrida, Jacques. Ulysse gramophone: Deux mots pour Joyce (Paris: Éditions Galilée, 1987). Dedication: 'pour Samuel Beckett / (puisque Joyce - et André Bernold / m'encouragent à prendre ce / prétexte pour oser lui dire enfin / mon admiration de toujours, et ma / reconnaissance) / J. Derrida / Paris le 4 février 1987' University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-DER-ULY-1987 
  • Cioran, E.M. De l'inconvénient d'être né (Paris: Gallimard NRF, 1973). Dedication: ‘Pour Sam et Suzanne Beckett / J'ai voulu écrire un livre / qui puisse être lu par les / concierges ... J'y suis parvenu / hélas! // avec ma très vive / amitié / [signed]' 'Paris le 9 Déc. 1973 // Comme vous le souhaitiez, / j'ai reproduit ici exactement / la dédicace. / Merci pour la soirée de / samedi. / J'ai cherché toute la nuit, / bien entendu sans succès, / un équivalent français / de lessness / [arrow to next page] / lundi matin / Je viens de protester chez Gallimard. / On m'a répondu qu'à Paris / la distribution ne se faisait / pas par la poste et qu'il y / avait de ce fait tout le / temps des "problèmes" ...’ University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT B-CIO-INC 1973
  • Pinter, Harold. The Birthday Party and Other Plays (London: Methuen, 1960). Dedication: ‘Jan 61. / To Sam Beckett / from / Harold Pinter’ University of Antwerp, UB, Special Collections: BKT A-PIN-BIR 1960