Sherlock's debut up for auction

AN "EXTREMELY rare" inscribed copy of the book in which supersleuth Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance is expected to fetch up to £400,000 when it goes under the hammer.

The copy of A Study In Scarlet, the debut novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of only two inscribed examples known to exist. Sotheby's will auction the work, which it described as "one of the rarest books of modern times", in London this summer.

The book took fewer than three weeks to write and was published in 1887.

Describing its significance, Sotheby's said: "Undoubtedly the most important book Conan Doyle ever wrote, A Study In Scarlet gave birth to Sherlock Holmes, explained how he and Dr Watson came to be together and set in motion one of the most successful characters – and indeed the first major serial character – in English literature, a forerunner of everyone from Hercule Poirot to James Bond."

The novel will be up for grabs on 15 July as part of an English Literature, History, Children's Books and Illustrations sale. Its estimate is 250,000-400,000.

Despite being a hit on publication, the work was initially rejected by a succession of publishers.