Steig Larsson rejection letter to go up for auction

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo creator is The Journalist Who Couldn't get into Journalism College, according to a letter donated for auction by his estate to raise funds for Expo.

The letter, in which Larsson is rejected by the Joint Committee of Colleges of Journalism in 1972, is expected to raise £8,000-£12,000 when it goes up for auction at Sotheby's on 15 December. The letter, with a unique pencil portrait doodle on the reverse, was among personal effects left by the author after his death in 2004. It is bundled as part of a lot with a leather-bound set of his three Millennium Trilogy novels, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Despite the rejection, Larsson went on to enjoy a career as one of Sweden's most renowned campaigning journalists. In 1995 he co-founded Expo, the anti-discrimination organisation which will benefit from the sale. Larsson was president of Expo and editor-in-chief of Expo magazine until his death.

Representing the Estate of Stieg Larsson, his father said it was important that the sale 'will benefit an organisation he believed in deeply'.
'It gives Stieg's brother and myself great pleasure to know that Expo will benefit from funds that will enable the foundation and magazine to continue their hugely important work.’