Charlie Watts’ book collection to go up for auction

The book collection of late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts is set to go up for auction later this year.

• READ MORE: Charlie Watts, 1941 – 2021: the ballast that kept The Rolling Stones tempered and on-track

The extensive collection features a host of first editions of some of the world’s most iconic books, including F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound Of The Baskervilles.

They will go under the hammer on September 28-29, and be presented in London, New York and Los Angeles prior to the sale.

The signed copy of The Great Gatsby is set to fetch between £200-300,000, while Watts’ collection of jazz memorabilia will also be sold.

Discussing the items, Watts’ authorised biography author Paul Sexton said: “He took great pleasure in owning these things.

“He valued his time at home and he would read on the road, so literature was a very important part of his make-up.”

He added: “I don’t think he acquired them because he knew they would become valuable, he just took a huge satisfaction in owning these great works and tracking down, with the help of experts, original first editions.”

See the full collection here.

It was revealed last year that The Rolling Stones‘ next album will feature drumming by their late sticksman Watts.

According to The Sun, guitarist Ronnie Wood said that the band’s new album will be released next summer. The record will have some of Watts’ drumming work included alongside that of touring drummer Steve Jordan’s.

Watts died last year at the age of 80. He had been drumming with the iconic rock’n’roll band since their formation in the early ’60s.