Who wins the FIFA World Cup 2010? Spain? Argentina? Brazil? Italy? Or Ghana? Will England loose the penalty shootout? Does Germany reach the semi-finals without Michael Ballack? In three weeks the football world looks to South Africa. We have talked with a South African dealer about the most important thing besides football: rare books.
Three booksellers from the edges of Britain introduce themselves and describe how the ABA assists their businesses: Charles Cox (River House, Treglasta, Launceston, Cornwall), Alex Alec-Smith (The Old Rectory, Winestead, Hull, Yorkshire), Piers & Stephen Besley (Besley's Books, 4, Blyburgate, Beccles, Suffolk) ...
Once again, Melburnians, Victorians and interstate visitors will be drawn to Melbourne for a week full of interesting, amazing and outstanding events dedicated exclusively to the wonderful world of rare books and book collecting. Melbourne Rare Book Week commenced in 2012 as a partnership between the Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers (ANZAAB), the University of Melbourne and eight other literary institutions. In 2014, over 40 free events were held at libraries, literary and historical societies and bookshops throughout Melbourne, attracting local, national and international visitors. Now in its fourth year, Melbourne Rare Book Week is well established in the City of Melbourne's event calendar. It is a major attraction for book collectors, librarians and all who have a love of words, print on paper and literary heritage.
In the week leading up to this year's New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, and its two "shadow" fairs, I'd been in a state of preternatural excitement. Two promoters - Marvin Getman of Impact Events Group and John and Tina Bruno of Flamingo Eventz – were going head to head for supremacy in the satellite book fair market. First Getman crashed the Bruno's turf by scheduling a rival New York shadow show, then the Brunos trumped Getman by moving their shadow show to a new location just across Lexington Ave. from the big show at the Park Avenue Armory. Cold war ensued. It began to get nasty, and I became increasingly excited by the steady stream of blog fodder. There could not be two more different promoters – in terms of personality, management style, and business practices – than Getman and the Brunos. By last Friday night I'd half convinced myself that their collision would result in a black hole of such magnitude that the entire trade would be sucked behind an unbreachable event horizon, allowing us all to go home and rake our lawns. But something else happened. Or maybe I should say nothing happened.
"Book fairs are fun and you learn a lot, but they do make your feet hurt!" As every year, Frank Werner of Brockhaus/Antiquarium exhibited at the International Antiquarian Book Fair in London. But this year was different. The book fair took place in the bigger and most beautiful National Hall at Olympia, and Frank Werner was accompanied by his aunt. It was the first book fair for Tante Trude, as he calls her, and she was excited!
Whether you are an experienced collector or simply curious about old and rare books, the Chelsea Antiquarian Book Fair is not to be missed.
Held each autumn in the beautiful and historic Chelsea Old Town Hall, the Fair brings together more than 80 exhibitors specialising in antique books, first editions, maps, prints, and manuscripts from all over the world. Prices begin at just a few pounds and dealers are happy to guide you, making this an accessible and exciting venue for beginning collectors or those simply looking for an extra special Christmas gift.
On 23 April - the World Book and Copyright Day celebrated under the auspices of UNESCO - ILAB booksellers will hold Pop Up Fairs all across the world from Sydney to Tokyo to Cape Town, Moscow, London and all the major European capitals to New York, Washington, Chicago, Seattle and Portland at the Northwest Pacific coast. In woolsheds, on central stations, on boats, in museums, libraries, streets, cocktail clubs, brew pubs and skyscrapers ILAB booksellers will bring the books to the people by popping up on four continents and in every imaginable places, putting a stunning selection of rare books on display and raising money for a UNESCO project to buy books for schools in South Sudan. ALAI and the Italian booksellers strongly support this worldwide initiative from the first day of the Milan Antiquarian Book Fair, 27 March, up to UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April.
