Rare collection of Winnie-the-Pooh letters to be auctioned

An EH Shepard illustration of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet found in Smith's collection. Photograph: Picasa/Fieldings Auctioneers Ltd

A “rare, unique and incredibly exciting” collection of original letters and drawings sent between the creators of Winnie-the-Pooh are set to go under the hammer this week, after being discovered in a carrier bag.

The collection includes a series of written exchanges between AA Milne, the author behind the iconic children’s literature character, illustrator EH Shepard and their publisher, Frederick Muller.