Literature’s ‘lost’ gems

THE discovery of a “lost library” of rare editions and original manuscripts by some of the finest writers in the English language has excited lovers of literature.

The treasures of the Honresfield Library have been out of sight for decades and many assumed its collection had been broken up and sold off.

Quite a few of us will wonder how the likes of Jane Austen first editions and handwritten poems by Emily Brontë were left out of sight for generations.

If we had such titles in our possession we would probably dash to the Antiques Roadshow to find out the worth of the masterpieces in the attic.