Rare Seamus Heaney collection helps charity shop

According to this article from the Derry Journal, Seamus Heaney's first published manuscript, along with a collection by fellow Irish poet Michael Longley, has broken a fundraising record for an English charity shop. Some of the poems in the Heaney manuscript, Eleven Poems, first appeared in POETRY.

From the article:

The pamphlet, ‘Eleven Poems’, was published in 1965 and was the first collection of the St Columb’s College-educated poet’s work.

It was donated to Oxfam music and book shop on Nottingham’s Market Street along with another pamphlet ‘Ten Poems’, by fellow Irish poet, Michael Longley, by an anonymous donor.

Both pamphlets were later sold at auction for £3,500 - a record for the shop.

Staff at the charity shop have said they do not know who donated the rare pamphlets but added that they were “delighted” and “very grateful”.

The items had been valued at between £300 and £500 by valuers from auction house, Bonhams.

Dawn Nicholl, who works in the charity shop said; “Like most of our donations they just came through the door. Bonhams said you might be lucky, you might not.

“Obviously someone really wanted them so they made a lot more.”

Atari apparently created the cover art.