First edition copy of ‘A Christmas Carol’ to be auctioned

By Izzy Hawksworth via SWNS

An 'important' first edition copy of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is expected to sell for £1,000 when it goes to auction.

The short novel about the miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge was published on December 19, 1843 - just six weeks after Dickens began writing the story.

It was originally called 'A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas and 6,000 copies of the book were sold by Christmas Eve.

A further 13 editions were sold by the end of 1844 and since then, it has sold over two million copies in America alone.

The story follows Scrooge's transformation into a kinder person after he's visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve.

The book is expected to fetch £600 to £1,000 at auction as it has some damage to the spine but is in otherwise good condition.

Ian Marr, a specialist at auctioneers John Nicholsons', says the 'important book' is 'sought after' by serious collectors.

He said: "A Christmas Carol was a publishing sensation as soon as it was first published and is that rare phenomenon: a literary work that has helped shape history and social behavior ever after.

“From the first sentence – ‘Marley was dead: to begin with’ – this is a gripping tale full of wonderfully drawn characters and situations.

"The captivating way Dickens describes scenes such as the town dressed for the festivities is like an artist creating a painting in every detail.

“It’s no wonder that such an important book sold out quickly and had to be reprinted, making those very first copies among the most sought-after volumes for any serious collector in the field."

The book will go to auction at John Nicholson’s in Fernhurst, Surrey on January 23.