James Joyce erotic letter auctioned

LONDON, July 9 (UPI) -- An erotic letter written by renowned Irish author James Joyce in 1909 to his future wife has been auctioned in London for more than $400,000.

The letter, written to Nora Barnacle during the first winter the couple was apart, explicitly described how Joyce would like to satisfy his lust for his wife, Sky News reported Friday.

The correspondence is said to be remarkable because of Joyce's well-known disdain for obscene jokes and swearing, Sky News said.

An anonymous bidder purchased the letter, which had earlier been estimated to be worth between $80,000 and $100,000.

"The high price achieved for the erotic letter from James Joyce to Nora Barnacle fully reflects the item's importance not only in personal terms but for Joyce's entire creative output after 1909," said Peter Selley, Sotheby's English literature specialist.

Joyce and Barnacle met in Dublin in 1904, and left together for Europe in October that year. They married in 1931, a decade before the writer's death.