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From May 26th to 28th the halls of Olympia will once again present an unparalleled array of literary material at the London International Antiquarian Book Fair. Now in its 59th year, this major three-day event is one of the largest and most prestigious antiquarian book fairs in the world, showcasing rare, unique and unusual items from 180 leading UK and international dealers.

Before the First International ILAB Congress and Fair in Budapest in September, we would like you to have a glimpse into its programme. First of all, we have prepared a brief series on the most prestigious libraries of Budapest, starting with the The Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

The Dutch Association of Antiquarian book dealers (NVvA) is pleased to announce the Amsterdam International Antiquarian Book Fair to be held on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October 2016. The newly elected book fair committee has developed a new concept with a new location in the heart of the book-loving city of Amsterdam. You are cordially invited to submit your application to register.

For many small children outside of Europe, their first ideas of Paris come from a children's book, and for them, the heart of the city is a vine-covered old house full of little girls in yellow dresses, the smallest and most important being Madeline. The man behind the first seven Madeline books (the series has since been picked up by his grandson) was Ludwig Bemelmans. Though he published over forty-six books in his lifetime and posthumously, it is for Madeline that he is most fondly remembered.

We are delighted to take advantage of the international scope of the city of Barcelona and the unique opportunity to host this event in El Born, Centre Cultural, a unique public space which offers a living memory of historic artefacts and properties, located in the very heart of the old city. The Spanish book dealers' association, AILA, is making great organizational and media-related efforts to ensure the international acclaim of the Book Fair, which will celebrate Barcelona's Unesco nomination as City of literature.Don't miss this essential event for all bibliophiles and anyone else enthusiastic about old and rare books, literature and creativity.

he International Rare Book & Autograph Fair at the Grand Palais in Paris is one of the most prestigious fairs in the world, attracting nearly 200 exhibitors and over 20.000 visitors each year who enjoy the opportunity to browse, buy and admire more than 100.000 historical documents – rare books, manuscripts, autographs, prints and ephemera from all centuries – in the elegant glass-domed hall of the Grand Palais. And the Paris Fair is much more: organized by the Syndicat national de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne (SLAM) under the auspices of ILAB and under the high patronage of Mr François Hollande, President of the French Republic, it opens up the whole universe of bibliophily with a series of exhibitions and events introducing French libraries and collections and giving a close insight into the joy of book collecting.

There wasn't much trouble with anything this trip. ABAA's SoCal Bookfair Committee and White Rain Promotions orchestrated a nearly flawless event, right down to the spacious and well stocked dealer's lounge, lunch during setup, and a catchy, slightly goofy "Alice in (book)Wonderland" theme, not to mention polite, efficient, and omnipresent security, wide aisles, and excellent lighting. And if crowds seemed a little thin and lackluster (they were) we could blame it on the extraordinarily warm and sunny weather. There can be no greater pleasure on this earth than walking to work hoping not to get too hot and receiving a phone call from your kids back in Massachusetts complaining of sub zero temperatures and snow shoveling tasks.

One of my most favorite Children's writers of all time was born on the 27th of January, 1832. Scratch that – one of my most favorite writers, period, was born on the 27th of January, 1832. Many critics of great literature have commented on the fact that one of the most lasting kinds of literature is the kind that speaks to both children AND adults – writers whose works you can read when you are both 5 and 75 and learn something equally important at both of these starkly different ages. It is my super humble (though really awesome) opinion that the writer we honor today, on what would be his 184th birthday, is one of those writers. It is perhaps also appropriate that we honor his memory, as in less than a month there will be an ABAA Fair in Pasadena named after some of his most well-known work.