The fuse has been lit on a metaphorical stick of literary dynamite, so far as would-be-author Andy Fraser is concerned.

The carpet fitter from Barming, near Maidstone, is auctioning his as-yet unpublished manuscript, The Tragedian, on eBay. And he was this week expecting a flurry of bids from potential publishers and collectors.

The asking price? Just £1 million.

Yes, that’s one million pounds; about £875,000 more than an original page from Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers manuscript is expected to fetch at Christies in April.

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Mr Fraser, 44, was quick to defend his mammoth asking price.

He said: "It's not just the book; you get all the publishing rights. There's a lot of work that's gone into producing it and there's a lot they can get from it.

"The Tragedian is a semi-autobiographical tale of a slightly depressed man, set against the background of the late 1980s Maidstone pub scene."

If the story alone is not enough to entice a potential buyer, publishers should know the eBay lot also includes the publishing rights to six mini-musicals – and all that for just £5 postage and packing on top.

Some of Mr Fraser's work, such as the song I am a Spider, can be viewed on internet video site YouTube by searching for his band Unlucky Fried Kitten.