The first editions of novels by best-selling Scottish author Ian Rankin are to be sold at an auction on August 25, auctioneers Bonhams said recently.

The complete collection of his 14 crime novels featuring Inspector Rebus will be offered, including Hide And Seek, The Black Book, Mortal Causes, Let It Bleed and Black And Blue.

These books are expected to fetch between 150 and 300 pounds each, while a first edition of Knots and Crosses, the 1987 debut of the Rebus character, could fetch 400 to 500 pounds.

Rankin, whose books have been translated into 22 languages, said he might even become a bidder himself because he gave away all his spare copies to friends and family members in his early days as a writer.

"It’s a strange feeling to see one’s books come up at auction and also, to some extent, a sign of my miserable early failings as an author," Rankin said in a statement.

Only a few hundred copies were printed of his first novel, The Flood. Even by the time Black And Blue was published, the first print run was in the very low four-figures, Rankin said.

"That’s because I wasn’t selling very well and my publishers at the time were not going to risk printing copies they couldn’t sell. As a result, the first 10 years of my output as a novelist has now become highly collectable." Rankin is one of Scotlandmost successful novelists and has been described by critics as a "modern day Charles Dickens". The books will be auctioned at the Edinburgh branch of Bonhams.

The Rebus character was also featured in a television series. — Reuters

Anand kahani

Bollywood’s evergreen hero Dev Anand is ready for a new role. After having straddled the Hindi film industry for six decades, romanced some of its most beautiful stars and transformed into a director from a matinee idol, Dev Anand now wants to turn into an author.

In October, after his new film Mr Prime Minister hits the screen, the 82-year-old will finally pen the story of his eventful career, starting from how he arrived in India’s tinsel town Mumbai from Lahore in the 1940s "without a penny in his pocket" and became one of its most enduring icons.

Besides his personal life, the autobiography will also unfold the tale of India’s transformation from a British colony to a sovereign republic.

"I have something to say," said the impassioned actor who was in Kathmandu recently to receive an award from the Nepalese Film Development Board.

"I came to Mumbai in 1943, became a star in 1945 and in 1947 saw India become independent. Alongside my own growth, I have seen India reach her maturity." Though he started writing years ago, the autobiography threatened to stay unfinished because he had so much to say.

"I thought the book would never finish because it is the story of Dev Anand, and Dev Anand keeps going," he said.

He has however finally decided he would have to stop somewhere. Now the draft is to be completed by December. Dev Anand plans to go to London to look for an international publisher.

"I want my book to make an international splash," he said. — IANS