Booksellers affiliated to ILAB are based in 37 countries worldwide, organised in 22 national associations. The Czech antiquarian bookseller’s association, Svaz Antikváru ČR, one of ILAB's smaller member associations, currently counts 14 members across the country.
ILAB congratulates Australian bookseller Douglas Stewart on his appointment as new President of the Australian and New Zealand booksellers association.
The endowment of the ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography has recently been funded with a further generous donation of $25,000 from the B.H. Breslauer Foundation of New York — Submissions are currently being accepted for the 2022 prizes.
ILAB spoke to one of the newer members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association, Anke Timmermann who jointly owns and runs the business Type & Forme with her partner Mark James: "...the printed book and manuscripts have lost none of their allure in the new millennium, and antiquarian books are arguably even better appreciated in recent years ... Social media, especially Instagram, have brought forth a new generation of bibliophiles..."
The Proper Title: In the wake of more high-profile book thefts, the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers is tackling head-on the sometimes thorny issue of provenance.
The Swedish Antiquarian Booksellers Association, Svenska Antikvariatföreningen alerted ILAB to the recently published bibliography: “Swedish Contributions to Classical Philology” by Per Rålamb.
An excellent bibliographical project and an important contribution to Victorian England and the history of the private presses: Bill Peterson and Sylvia Holton Peterson have launched a digital catalogue of the library of William Morris (1834-1896) who was one of the key figures of the Victorian era and founder of the Kelmscott Press in 1891. So far 958 entries from a total of approximately 2.000 have been added to the digital catalogue, all of them carefully described with provenances, references, quotations, and, if available, links to digital versions. The catalogue – to be found here http://williammorrislibrary.wordpress.com/ - can be searched in various ways: authors, titles, date of publication, key words etc. More details on this impressive work are given by the editors themselves ...
Called both the "Great Arbitress of Passion" and insulted as "Juno of majestic size," Eliza Haywood occupied a complicated place among her contemporaries. The incredibly prolific author wrote novels, plays, and pamphlets, and her writing incited controversy among her peers. Today scholars appreciate Haywood's role as a feminist writer, and collectors can build an expansive and diverting personal library around her many works.
Christmas is fast approaching, and for most of us, it's easy to get lost in the to-do lists and travel itineraries of the holidays. As adults, we can lose sight of the joy, wonder, and magic of this season. One book that has always encapsulated those emotions is The Night before Christmas. This childhood classic has enraptured generations, so much so that some rare book collectors even focus all their efforts on this single title. But as with any good story, there are multiple layers to this tale: the poem that shaped our Christmas traditions is also the center of an authorial controversy.
