The Huffington Post is reporting the discovery of a first-edition copy of [[[Frankenstein]]], inscribed by author Mary Shelley to Lord Byron (whose idea for a ghost-story writing contest was the novel’s genesis).

HuffPo reports “The copy of the best known fiction of the Romantic era had lain untouched for more than 50 years in the library of Lord Jay, the economist and Labour politician. His grandson Sammy, was sorting through his political papers for the archives of the Bodleian Library in Oxford, when he made the discovery.

“‘I saw the book lying at an angle in the corner of the top shelf. On opening it, I saw the title page, recognised what it was at once and leafed hungrily through the text—it was only when I flicked idly back to the first blank that I saw the inscription in cursive black ink, “To Lord Byron, from the author”,’ explained the 23-year-old.”

British rare book dealer Peter Harrington, which will be offering the book for sale, writes that this volume is a “First edition, presentation copy to Lord Byron, with the author’s autograph inscription to the front flyleaf: ‘To Lord Byron from the Author’. An unsurpassable association copy of the best known fiction of the Romantic era, perhaps the most evocative presentation copy conceivable in all nineteenth-century literature.

“This item will be exhibited at Peter Harrington from 26 September to 3 October 2012.

“More details to be released at 20:00 BST, 25 September 2012. These include a video and full description of the history of this unique book.

“Peter Harrington invites offers in excess of £350,000.”