Sylvia Plath: Family Copies of Anthologised Poems and Criticism

Twenty six books and magazines containing criticism or works by Sylvia Plath, owned by the poet’s sister in law, Olwyn Hughes, at least one of which bears her critical annotation relating to Plath. Olwyn Hughes only met Plath half a dozen times and their relationship wasn’t easy. After the American poet’s early death Ted Hughes’ sister became one of the guardians of Plath’s reputation, dealing with publishers, critics and biographers. These volumes bear witness to these decades of service to her brother and to Plath herself. Olwyn Hughes’ annotations to Ariel Ascending pay particular attention to Ted Hughes’ essay on Sylvia Plath and her Journals and Alvarez’s memoir. After Hughes’ death in 2016 these books were inherited by Plath and Hughes’ daughter Frieda Hughes who consigned them to auction earlier this year; most still have the Bonhams bookmark from this sale inserted.