L’Engle Book Auction To Fund Special Collections Fellowship

An auction of items formerly owned by Madeleine L’Engle ‘41 is set to benefit the Madeleine L’Engle Travel Research Fellowships Fund and two other causes. Many of L’Engle’s unique and historically valuable papers have been made part of Smith College Libraries Special Collections; the books not needed by Smith were kept by her family and are now up for auction.

New England Book Auctions will be handling the L’Engle items up for sale. The books will be sold in lots on April 13, 20, 22 and 27, but bidding opens early. Lots will vary in size and value. Those interested can visit the New England Book Auctions website and register to participate in the auction. 

L’Engle, a renowned young adult fiction author perhaps best known for A Wrinkle in Time, left 258 boxes of books in her Connecticut and New York homes, and those items have been in storage since her death nearly 13 years ago. Some of the books being auctioned are signed by L’Engle, some were authored by her, and all come from her personal library, which she acquired over her lifetime. Many of the volumes originally belonged to her mother, father and other relatives. 

Madeleine L’Engle’s papers came to Smith College in 2019. They document her creative, family, professional and spiritual life, and are a valuable source for students at Smith College and scholars worldwide.

Auction proceeds will benefit the Madeleine L’Engle Travel Research Fellowships Fund at Smith College, PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program and The L’Engle Initiative at Image Journal. 

Contact

Special Collections
specialcollections@smith.edu