SIGNED first editions of Inspector Morse novels by Colin Dexter could be among thousands of rare and collectable items for sale at this year's Oxford Book Fair.

About 100 dealers are expected to attend the annual book fair at Oxford Brookes University's Wheatley Campus, with items on sale ranging in price from £2 to £35,000.

Mr Dexter, who wrote 13 novels, died last month aged 86, and fair manager Tom Lintern-Mole said he expected some Inspector Morse first editions to be on sale at the event, which is being held on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23.

Mr Lintern-Mole, who studied history at Brasenose College from 2005 to 2008, said: "There is bound to be a lot of interest in Colin Dexter's books so soon after his death.

"Signed first editions of his early novels, such as Last Bus to Woodstock, are very collectable and I expect some dealers will bring his books along.

"Blackwell's, which has a rare books department, usually takes a stand at the fair, and it may well have a number of signed Dexter first editions.

"It was well known that the author was quite happy to sign copies of his novels so there are lots of them around.

"The earlier novels had much shorter print runs and are therefore more collectable and harder to find."

A signed first edition of Last Bus to Woodstock, the author's first novel from 1975, is being sold by Blackwell's Rare Books for £1,000 while an unsigned edition of the same book is being sold for £700.

Another highlight at the fair will be railway posters of Oxford dating back to the 1930s and 1950s.

Mr Lintern-Mole said: "These lovely posters from the 1930s and 1950s show Brasenose College and the High Street, giving a Brideshead Revisited impression of Oxford.

"There is lots of free parking at the Wheatley campus and it's popular with dealers and visitors as it's easy to get to the site from the M40."

The Great Western Railway poster of the college dates back to 1930 and is for sale for £2,500 while the British Railways poster of Oxford High Street from 1955 costs £1,500.

Both are being sold by Kent-based bookseller Michael Kemp.

Another highlight for sale will be The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Howard Carter's definitive work on the discovery of the Egyptian pharoah's tomb, which was published by Cassell in three volumes from 1923 to 1933.

The volumes are being sold for £5,000.

The fair, run by the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association, will run on April 22 from noon until 6pm and on Sunday from 10am to 4pm and admission costs £2.

For further information visit oxfordbookfair.org