James Joyce New Year's card goes up for auction

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A greetings card bearing New Years wishes from James Joyce, written 70 years ago is being offered for sale at €4,950 ($6,628).

The postcard was sent by Joyce from Zurich to a friend in France on New Year’s Eve 1940, exactly two weeks before his death. The illustrated card is one of the last documents penned by Joyce and is being sold by rare books dealer Kenny’s of Galway.

According to the bookseller, Tomás Kenny, the postcard was in “remarkably good condition” and he added that “anything with Joyce’s handwriting is rare, especially something written so close to his death."

Mr Kenny said the postcard had been acquired from a private collector in Ireland who had purchased it in the United States.

The postcard bears a stamp and is postmarked Zurich and the two “Helvetia” stamps are franked with the iconic postmark depicting a skier and a promotional message for winter sports. It is addressed to Laurence Vail, at “Les 6 Enfants,” Megève, Haute-Savoie département of southeast France, close to the Swiss border.

Joyce wrote his message with a green pen and wished Vail and his family 'les meilleurs voeux' (best wishes the the New Year). A close friend of Joyce’s, Vail was a painter and sculptor.

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