New Beckett letters acquired

Five letters and three postcards from Samuel Beckett to the Israeli scriptwriter and journalist Mira Avrech have been acquired by Special Collections. The letters date from 1967 to 1974, and may be found under reference MS 5515. Copies of these items are now available for consultation in the reading room.

Beckett is believed to have met Avrech in 1967 whilst in Berlin directing Endspiel (Endgame), and to have conducted a brief love affair with her during his stay. The letters discuss both his writing and hers, his health, international politics and his habit of drinking whiskey from an old tumbler.