Gone are the days when the death of a favourite author meant that readers had to farewell beloved characters and resign themselves to a future of re-reading. Here is a collection of lost manuscripts and authorised sequels that continue the stories of much-loved literary characters after the author’s death.

The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots by Beatrix Potter with illustrations by Quentin Blake

Discovered in the archives at the Victoria and Albert Museum more than a century after it was written, Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots tells the story of a prim and proper cat who leads a double life – sneaking out at night to go hunting in full regalia and knee-high boots. Quentin Blake (a legend in his own right) provides the illustrations for the book and readers will spot a few familiar characters in its pages, including a certain blue-jacketed rabbit.

The Return of the Young Prince by Alejandro Roemmers

At the end of The Little Prince the narrator plaintively asks the reader to keep an eye out for the boy who ‘laughs, who has golden hair and who refuses to answer questions’, in the hope that he may one day return to Earth. 65 years later Argentinean author, Alejandro Roemmers, has complied. The Return of the Young Prince was written with the blessing of Saint-Expury’s family, and imagines the return of the little prince. Now an adolescent, he is still searching for the meaning of life and happiness.

What Pet Should I Get? by Dr Seuss

Dr. Seuss, one of the best-loved children’s authors in history, died in 1991 just after the publication of Oh The Places You’ll Go which is now available in a gorgeous collector’s edition. 22 years later his widow was going through some old files when she unearthed the text and preliminary illustrations for a project titled ‘The Pet Shop’. With the help of Cathy Goldsmith who had worked with Seuss as far back as 1978, the long-lost What Pet Should I Get? has made its way into the eager hands of readers young and old.

The Best Bear in All the World with illustrations from Mark Burgess

2016 marks the 90th anniversary of the publication of A.A. Milne’s beloved Winnie-The-Pooh. To celebrate, a collection of four new illustrated tales have been published featuring Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga… and newcomer, Penguin. (Penguin was inspired by a photograph of A.A. Milne and his son Christopher playing with a penguin toy.) Four different writers have contributed a tale – Paul Bright, Brian Sibley, Kate Saunders and Jeanne Willis – and illustrator Mark Burgess mimics E. H. Shepherd’s original artwork with skill. The Best Bear in All the World is the second authorised sequel about our favourite literary bear, following up from David Benedictus’s Return to Hundred Acre Wood.

Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz with original material from Ian Fleming

Trigger Mortis is set immediately after the credits roll on Goldfinger and sees James Bond take centrestage once again. Written by Anthony Horowitz (who was arguably to first author to reinvent the British superspy with his YA series about teenager Alex Rider), this novel features iconic characters such as Pussy Galore, SMERSH, M, and Moneypenny. Most importantly, it is the first posthumous Bond novel to include previously unseen material from the man who dreamed up the the Martini-drinking, gadget-wielding British Secret Service agent in the first place: Ian Fleming.

The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie

Indomitable Belgian detective Hercule Poirot featured in 33 novels, two plays and more than 50 short stories by the grande dame of mystery fiction, Agatha Christie. After her death in 1976, it took her estate 37 years to find an author they were prepared to entrust with her legacy. Award-winning writer Sophie Hannah’s first Poirot novel, The Monogram Murders, was published in 2014, and the second, Closed Casket, has arrived this year to commemorate the centenary of the creation of this world-famous detective. This is the only book on this list where not only is the author dead, but the character themselves also died; he even got an obituary in the New York Times!

The Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter

It’s not out yet, but considering fans of HG Wells’ War of the Worlds have been waiting 119 years for the sequel another couple of months seems like child’s play. The Massacre of Mankind has been written by well-respected British sci-fi author, Stephen Baxter, and is set 30 years after the original in 1920s London.

Lian Hingee