Explore Beckett’s books
From Paris to Antwerp
In February of 2023, the University Library of Antwerp received an exceptional collection of books from the personal library of Samuel Beckett (1909-1989). This library was transported straight from the Parisian apartment now belonging to Edward Beckett, nephew and heir to the late Irish writer. He donated this collection to the University of Reading and as part of this arrangement, the collection was first loaned to the University of Antwerp’s Special Collections from 2023 to 2033.
For many years, the University of Antwerp has been home to a remarkable amount of expertise about Samuel Beckett and his interesting oeuvre. Research about text genetics, reader’s libraries and the importance of reading traces all culminated in an impressive digital text edition project called the Beckett Digital Manuscript Project (lead by Prof. Dirk Van Hulle and Mark Nixon, who first inventorised and digitized Beckett’s Paris Library).
Temporary loan agreement at the Special Collections.
After the arrival of this remarkable collection, the Special Collections and the catalographers of the university library took to describing every book. Then, the books were all thoroughly cleaned by our student worker and stored in our secure depository. Every book can be found in our catalogue, and you can make an appointment to consult these books in the Special Collections reading room.