Globe Theatre partners with Firsts London - London's Rare Book Fair - Exhibition of rarely seen works at 2019 fair

Firsts – London’s Rare Book Fair, presented by the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association, is delighted to announce that the Official Fair Partner is international online rare bookseller Biblio, and Charity Partner for 2019 is Shakespeare’s Globe.

Firsts London, the ABA’s annual flagship event and one of the most prestigious rare books fairs in the world, will open its doors to visitors from 7 – 9 June in beautiful Battersea Park. More than 150 exhibitors from around the world – sole traders and larger companies – will showcase rare, unique and unusual works for visitors with a wide range of cultural interests and a passion for the printed word, art, books maps and related ephemera from museum-quality medieval manuscripts to modern signed first editions.

“In the year which sees Shakespeare’s Globe celebrate the centenary of the birth of pioneering and acclaimed actor Sam Wanamaker whose passion led to the rebuilding of the iconic theatre and the 400^th anniversary of the death of the famous Globe actor Richard Burbage, we are excited to be staging an exhibition at the Fair of highlights from the Globe Library including books from The John Wolfson Rare Book Collection,” says Pom Harrington, Chairman of Firsts London. “The exhibition will offer visitors an unrivalled chance to see editions which are not normally on show.”

New York-based collector and author, John Wolfson is the Globe’s Honorary Curator of Rare Books. He will curate the Exhibition and give an exclusive talk, accompanied by actors, on the opening day.

Bringing a strong rapport with booksellers and a genuine enthusiasm for books and book collecting, North Carolina-based Biblio is the perfect fit for Firsts London. It works with the finest booksellers in the world to cultivate a truly remarkable collection that strikes the perfect balance between quantity and quality of selection. With British, Australian and New Zealand websites and over 5000 dealer members worldwide, the company is looking to expand into continental Europe, as well as the UK.

Brendan Sherar, Founder & CEO of Biblio: “We launched Biblio.co.uk almost ten years ago and we believe there’s an opportunity for significant growth in the UK. We’re looking forward to strengthening our relationships with our existing British booksellers, meeting potential new clients and having an opportunity to listen and understand the unique challenges facing booksellers and book collectors here.”

The company has strong business ethics. In 2005 Biblio founded non-profit organization, BiblioWorks. Since then, they have used their profits to build twelve public libraries in rural villages of South America. After the success of the first library project in Morado K'asa, Bolivia, BiblioWorks became a major contributor in the efforts to bring literacy and education to impoverished indigenous communities.

Firsts London at Battersea Evolution is open from noon – 8pm on Fri 7 June, 11am – 7pm on Sat 8 June, 11am – 5pm on Sunday 9 June and also includes live demonstrations, tours and talks.

More information HERE.