China to dust off classic British editions

Literature lovers in China are in for a treat as some of the British Library's most iconic books go on display in Beijing for the first time.

Starting on Apr 21, 10 handwritten manuscripts and early editions from some of Britain's greatest writers will be loaned to the National Library of China as part of a cultural exchange.

Among items on display at "Shakespeare to Sherlock: Treasures of the British Library" will be Charles Dickens' manuscript for Nicholas Nickleby, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and an early quarto edition of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, which was once owned by King George III.