Sacrilege: the broken Gutenberg Bible that changed a family's destiny

At this Goethe Lounge, the renowned journalist and author Michael Visontay will present his latest book, Noble Fragments. He will be in conversation with Peter Fray, former Editor-in-Chief of the Sydney Morning Herald.

In 1921 a New York bookseller, Gabriel Wells, committed a crime against history. He broke up the world’s greatest book, the Gutenberg Bible, and sold it off in individual pages. A few years ago, Sydney journalist Michael Visontay stumbled upon a mysterious legal document that linked Wells to his own family. He became obsessed by the Gutenberg’s invisible imprint on his life, and set out to track down the pages of the broken bible. Part detective story and part memoir, Noble Fragments is an expedition into the mysterious world of rare book collectors and a journey of discovery about how Wells’s gamble set off a chain of events that reshaped his family’s story.

Michael Visontay has worked as a journalist and senior editor at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian, and taught journalism at university. He is the author of several nonfiction books, including Welcome to Wanderland; Who Gave You Permission? (with Manny Waks), and; Undies to Equities: the remarkable life of Henri Aram.

FREE ENTRY WITH REGISTRATION

Goethe Lounge: A series of events at the Goethe-Institut in Sydney. Curated by our programming team and presented in collaboration with a range of Australian partner organisations. Live music, talks, and other events in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere.

Partnership: Goethe Lounge events in 2025 are proudly supported by Woollahra Municipal Council.

Accessibility note: This event will happen on the first floor, which is only accessible via a staircase. Unfortunately, our heritage building does not have an elevator. We apologise for the inconvenience; please get in touch if this is a concern or if you need assistance.

Photography note: By entering this event site you agree to being filmed or photographed as members of the audience. You may appear in photos or videos used for marketing or promotional purposes.

Acknowledgement: This event takes place on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather.