The underwear worn by Jilly Cooper when she wrote some of her racy romantic bonkbusters – among them Riders, Rivals, Players and Mount! – is to be auctioned by Christies in December in a live event headed Love and Lust.
The house expects the literary lingerie, which includes cami knickers, garters, stockings, bras and thongs, could fetch up to £10,000, more if the correction ribbons from her trusty Olivetti typewriter are included.
Oliver Corduroy from Christies’ literary collection said: “It’s an unusual offering certainly, but it fits with Jilly’s sense of fun. The correction ribbons are particularly interesting because you can see when even this famously forthright author thought a certain word was too much.”
Corduroy added that the Cooper material isn’t the only unusual piece on offer. A selection of Ian McEwan’s toenails, found by the writer’s cleaner and now the subject of a separate legal action, is also included, as is an early uncorrected proof copy of his most famous work, adjusted by a junior staffer at the auction house to read ‘A toe-nment’.
Also under the hammer are Jeffrey Archer’s ego, Sally Rooney’s uncollected royalties and Sarah J Maas’ romantasy themed pyjamas. It promises to be quite a day.