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The finest collection of American literature ever assembled.

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–Every Pulitzer Prize-winning work in every category – fiction, plays, poetry, biographies, autobiographies and memoirs, histories, and general nonfiction, 1916-2026 – all in first printing and first state, and almost all in their original dust wrappers. Very few of the dust wrappers have had any restoration, as it is the preference of most antiquarian book sellers that the books themselves, as well as the dust wrappers, remain unsophisticated – that is, that they are not made to appear more refined than they truly are. It is also important to note that the Gianakos-Safos Collection utilizes no facsimile dust wrappers; each of our books is in original form.

–Every related work to a Pulitzer Prize winner, all in first printing and first state. A unique aspect of the Gianakos-Safos Collection is that it embraces also all those works which Pulitzer recipients were based upon or at least inspired by. For example, regarding the play category: The first recipient was “Why Marry?” by Jesse Lynch Williams, based upon the playwright’s own “And So They Were Married,” which is accordingly included, also in first printing. The Rodgers & Hammerstein musical triumph, “Oklahoma!,” was itself based upon another non-musical play by Lynn Riggs called “Green Grow the Lilacs,” for which reason it is also included in first printing. This inclusion of all works based upon other works applies to all seven categories of Pulitzer Prize literature.

–The complete works, in first printing and first state, of several major American authors, among them the Pulitzer recipients Ernest Poole, Booth Tarkington, Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, Edna Ferber, T.S. Stribling, and all books which are part of a series whether as sequels, trilogies, tetralogies, or any number of greater volumes

–Every Harper Prize Novel Contest-winning work, all in first printing and first state. The Harper Prize Novel Contest, 1923-1965, was awarded biennially by a panel of judges under the auspices of Harper and Brothers publishers, for the best first novel in the United States. Three of the Harper Prize Novel Contest winners went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. These are Margaret Wilson’s 1923 “The Able McLaughlins,” H.L. Davis’s 1935 “Honey in the Horn,” and Martin Flavin’s 1943 “Journey in the Dark.”

–Scores of unique advance, review, and author inscribed copies of the above works

–The most comprehensive documentation of Pulitzer Prize literature through an inventory listing peerlessly scholarly and detailed

–Breathtaking images gleaned from more than 34,000 folders meticulously assembled through fifty-three years

–Pivotal author association copies individually historical and collectively superseding all others known either in institutions or via the Internet

–Almost every single work, in whatever category, has been author signed and often author inscribed, which includes works not found author signed across many decades.

BESIDES BEING SURELY DEFINITIVE OF PULITZER PRIZE LITERATURE, THE GREATER COLLECTION INCLUDES:

–All Newbery Medal award winners, 1921-2026, likewise in first printing and with representative author signatures and inscriptions

–All Caldecott Medal award winners, 1937-2026, likewise in first printing and with representative author signatures and inscriptions

–All literary sources to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) Best Picture “Oscar” winners, 1927-2026, with many likewise amazing associations

–The United Kingdom’s Man-Booker Prize recipients, 1969-2026, likewise in first printing and most likewise author signed and many also inscribed.

–An impressive number of author signed/inscribed first printings of National Book Award recipients and Nobel Literature Laureates.

–Other author oeuvres, beyond those among Pulitzer Prize recipients, such as all the first printing output of Earl Derr Biggers, the creator of “Charlie Chan,” who, like the collectors, was born in Warren, Ohio.

–Many other seminal pieces of global literature from the middle nineteenth century and beyond, but some even dating as far back as 1749.

“Absolutely fabulous collection. That’s all I can say, probably the best in the country… Truly, a work of art collection that museums don’t even have”

–James Cahill, “perhaps the world’s specialist antiquarian bookseller on Pulitzer Prize literature,” of Quintessential Rare Books, LLC (now Magnum Opus Rare Books)

“From my side, the collection is real enough to inspire a feature-length documentary, and mesmerizing to behold. If not utterly unique, it must stand as one of the great literature collections of all time.”

–Nikkos J. Frangos, executive producer of “The Pulitzer at 100,” with George
T. Lemos of MarbleMen Productions, as created by the late Oscar and Emmy-winning producer/director Kirk Simon in consort with his brother, Chevalier Ron Simon, the longtime television curator of Manhattan’s Paley Center for Media

“I hold your collection and your scholarship with respect to that collection in the highest regard. Indeed, I believe it to be the gold standard of such efforts.”

–Michael L. Wehmeyer, Ph.D., author of, the three-volume “Collecting Books That Won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel/Fiction,1917-2025,” reflecting his lifetime scholarship among the preeminent literary authorities, Brothers’ Fine and Collectible Books, L.L.C., and Member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association and of the Texas Booksellers Association

“Our stories and our books are the living records of our history. The Pulitzer Prize for Literature—and the collection that follows—represents one of the greatest gatherings of writing genius since our nation’s earliest attempts to define what a democracy could be. My reflections, offered some 250 years later, follow a crucible of trials and triumphs: a civil war, two world wars, and countless other conflicts that have tested the very principles and soul of our nation. Books have the power to preserve our truth and shape our legacy. Let us honor that power by ensuring the stories we leave behind tell the whole truth—for those who will one day look back and seek to understand who we were.”

–Douglas P. McCraw, Founder of FATVillage Arts District in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and co-author of Selma Is Now: The March for Justice Continues, now a traveling exhibition

“WHAT IS THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF THIS HUMAN ENDEAVOR? We are the Creators of our lives creating all the time choosing to bring our talents and gifts, large and small. out into the world. This is who and why we are here. This comprehensive collection represents the best of many, reminding us of who and why we truly are offering hope and solution where it can seem impossible. Immerse yourself in its content and regain your joy and promise of life.”

–Phillip Elron Collins, Author, teacher, screenwriter/filmmaker, and doctor of metaphysics

The Collection

Learn about the contents of the collection and the literary legacy it represents, and view a video presentation offering an overview of some of its most incredible pieces

The Collectors

Meet the men behind the collection, their journey to complete it, and the literary authorities who have assisted along the way

Building A Legacy

Review plans for honoring the collection’s legacy by finding the collection a permanent home and creating a philanthropic foundation

Gallery

Examine a selection of the most outstanding and legendary pieces in the collection, presented here in picture gallery format