Stolen first edition copy of Marquez masterpiece retrieved

The Colombian police have announced that a stolen first-edition copy of "One Hundred Years of Solitude", Nobel prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez's most renowned novel, has been recovered.

The book, stolen from the International Book Fair of Bogota on May 2, was found inside a box of a street book stall and then donated by its original owner to the national library on Friday, the Bogota police department of the capital administration said.

The book, first published in Buenos Aires in 1967 when Marquez lived in Mexico, was found by a book salesman not knowing who had left it there, Xinbua news agency reported.

After receiving the book from Police Director Rodolfo Palomino, its owner Alvaro Castillo announced his decision to donate it to the national library.

Castillo said the book belongs to the country even though it has the handwriting of Marquez stating "To Alvaro Castillo, the old-book seller, as yesterday and forever, your friend, Gabo".

"This book does not belong to me but to my country. I will donate it to the national library. After it was stolen, I could see the outrage across the country and called on the thieves to return it," Castillo said.

Police said the return of the stolen book would not end the crime inquiry as it still remained statutory for them to capture the thief who could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.