Paris (AFP)

Letters from Marcel Proust auctioned Monday and telling how the writer campaigned to be published and get the Goncourt have not found takers.

Dating from 1913 to 1916, this set of 16 letters gathering more than 90 pages were estimated between 200,000 and 300,000 euros by Christie's, which organized the sale in Paris.

"The lot has not found takers," said the auction house contacted by AFP.

In addition to these letters, an original copy of "In the shadow of young girls in bloom", featuring an autograph to the critic and poet Henri Ghéon, estimated between 8,000 and 12,000 euros, could not be sold.

Later in the evening, A luxury edition with two handwritten "closets" (proofs) of the Goncourt 1919 prize, "In the shadow of the young girls in bloom", was sold for 87,500 euros (including fees) in the lower range of his estimate (80,000 / 120,000 euros).

An exceptional typewritten text of 17 pages, corrected by the hand of Proust, the incipit of "A love of Swann" found taker at 43,750 euros, slightly above the high range of his estimate (30,000 / 40,000 euros ).

Finally, the corrected proofs of "From Swann's side" were awarded for 9.375 euros while they were estimated between 8,000 and 12,000 euros.

These last three lots came from the personal collection of the pianist Alfred Cortot (1877-1962).

In the letters that did not find a buyer, Proust asked his friend René Blum, then general secretary of the daily Gil Blas, very well introduced in the world of publishing, to submit "On the side of Swann", first volume of "In search of the lost time", to the publisher Bernard Grasset, to publish it on account of author.

In February 1913, when the publishing contract was not even signed, Proust already plans to submit his novel at literary prices, reveals one of the letters.

"If it would please Mr. Grasset, I could present it for a price Goncourt any I say that a little random because I do not know very well what it is that the price Goncourt", writes Proust to his friend .

René Blum will convince Bernard Grasset to publish the first volume of the Research. Marcel Proust is crazy about recognition. "Dear René Blum it is absolutely necessary that you ask me some service because you will make me very happy," he exclaims.

In several letters, Proust does not hesitate to solicit close friends of the literary circles (Jean Cocteau, Lucien Daudet, Louis of Robert ...) to assure him the publicity of his book.

When the NRF (Gallimard publishing house) shows interest in publishing it, Proust again asks René Blum to help him get rid of his contractual obligations to Grasset.

We know the rest of the story. In October 1917, Gaston Gallimard bought from Grasset some two hundred copies of "On the side of Swann" that were not sold. He puts them on a NRF blanket before putting them back on sale.

The reissues by Gallimard of "On the side of Swann" and "In the shadow of the girls in bloom" will both be on sale after the war in June 1919.

It's a winning move for the Gallimard house. On December 10, 1919, Marcel Proust received the 17th Goncourt Prize for "In the Shadow of Young Girls in Bloom", the second installment of "In Search of Lost Time", against the great favorite Roland Dorgelès.

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