Bram Stoker letter in which he names Dracula | July 1897, signed letter directly mentioning the Vampire and with a self deprecating nod to the first edition.
Autograph Letter Signed (“Bram Stoker”) to “My dear Williams,” mentioning Dracula. London, 7 July 1897. One page, 8vo (7 x 5 inches) in fine condition with bold ink and a clear signature.
A rare and significant autograph letter from Bram Stoker, written merely six weeks after the first publication of Dracula (26 May 1897), offering a personal glimpse into the author’s early thoughts on his now-iconic vampire novel. Addressed to an unidentified “Williams”—likely a theatrical colleague or personal friend from Stoker’s wide London or Dublin circle—the letter reads:
“07.7.97
My dear Williams,
I send you Dracula & have honoured myself by writing your name in it.
How is enclosed for high? Lord forgive me. I am quite shameless.
Yours ever,
Bram Stoker”
In this brief yet telling note, Stoker announces the gift of a personally inscribed copy of Dracula—a gesture he made with notable figures such as William Ewart Gladstone and Frank A. Munsey at the time. The lines “How is enclosed for high?” invite Williams’ judgment on the novel’s merit in an informal way, while “Lord forgive me. I am quite shameless” offers a self-deprecating nod to the novel’s Gothic excesses. Written during Stoker’s tenure as business manager of the Lyceum Theatre under Sir Henry Irving, this letter places him at a pivotal moment, balancing his early literary career with his demanding theatrical life.
The scarcity of Stoker letters that specifically mention Dracula is extraordinary. No other known letter from 1897 ties so directly to the novel's release. Indeed there are less than a handful of letters that even mention Dracula throughout Stoker's whole life. Written before the novel had gained its legendary status, this letter is a rare and invaluable piece of literary history. Letters mentioning Dracula can be counted on one hand and in most cases are only seen, as in this instance, where Stoker has sent a book to a friend. Stoker’s similar surviving Dracula letters (e.g., to Gladstone, May 1897) are concise yet very formal; this informal note with the 'How is enclosed for high? Lord forgive me. I am quite shameless' shows Stoker’s personality in a way rarely ever seen in the few letters that could be compared. There is no letter like this.
A prized piece for collectors. Rarer than seeing a Vampire in daylight. This will likely be the only time in my life and career I see a letter from Stoker directly mentioning Dracula
