A relative of the late author Margaret Mitchell is giving the Archdiocese of Atlanta a 50 per cent stake in the rights to her bestselling novel, Gone With the Wind.
The Atlanta JournalConstitution reports that the gift includes a 50 per cent stake in the trademark to the book and items that belonged to Mitchell.
The bequest was made by Joseph Mitchell, nephew of the late author. Joseph Mitchell, who died in October, was a longtime member of the Cathedral of Christ the King.
Steve Swope, a deacon in the archdiocese who is overseeing the gift, says royalties could be in the "hundreds of thousands" of dollars annually from usage of the book just for productions like ballets and plays.