Rare collection of Winnie the Pooh letters on sale

A collection of letters sent between Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne, illustrator E.H. Shepherd and publisher Frederick Muller is to be sold at auction.

They were discovered among papers belonging to Malvern man Leslie Smith, who worked in the publishing industry.

They include manuscripts, autographs, drafts and corrected proofs for Now We Are Six, and The House at Pooh Corner and other Winnie the Pooh material.

The 28 lots, due to be sold by Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge on 16 January, have been given guide prices of between £100 and £1,200.

Clive Farahar, a book specialist who helped appraise the collection, said: "This is an incredible discovery in the world of Winnie the Pooh, especially when it was thought all documents were accounted for."

He said they were a pleasure to read and gave "further insight into our favourite honey-loving bear".

The letters include design ideas for Winnie the Pooh Christmas cards and designs for a Christopher Robin birthday book, including a pen and ink drawing of Pooh and Piglet walking side by side in the snow.

Fieldings said the letters also showed "moments of creative tension" and a letter written on behalf of Winnie himself, dated 28 March 1928.

It reads: "By the way, Pooh protests strongly against being called a 'fabulous monster' in today's Observer..."

Fieldings said the material "represents probably the last collection of documents and manuscripts to come to market".

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