"Hardly anyone finds their way into this business by chance" - Speaking to Georg Schneebeli, new president of the Swiss antiquarian booksellers' association

Dear Mr. Schneebeli, congratulations on your election as VEBUKU/SLACES President. Could you please introduce yourself to us? What is your background, how did you enter the rare book trade, and what areas do you specialise in?

Thank you very much for congratulating me on my election. I hope that I will be able to lead the association as successfully as my predecessors did.

I believe that hardly anyone finds their way into this business by chance. Ever since my earliest childhood, books, bookshelves, and libraries have held a great fascination for me. This fascination never waned, even during my early career as an architect and later as a graphic designer with my own company. Books are still a source of wonderful discoveries and inspiration for me today. And, to be honest, my desire to pursue this passion professionally outweighed all of my (today's) colleagues' reservations and warnings. What has changed compared to my former role as a customer is that I now have the privilege of sharing these wonderful discoveries and inspirations with many customers and learning new things in the process.
What hasn't changed, however, is my love of science, art, crafts, and art history.

2. What motivated you to take on this time-consuming role? How do you see the work of the Swiss association developing in the coming years?

To get straight to the point: VEBUKU/SLACES is a small association. Sooner or later, you will likely be asked to take on a position on the association's board. However, membership in an association also means being committed to its further development when the opportunity arises. Fortunately, my predecessor, Dr. Peter Bichsel, left me a well-organized association with healthy finances. As president, I will initially focus on continuing Peter's successful work. This includes supporting our members and developing a viable trade fair concept for the Zurich Rare Book Fair. In the future, however, the board will also need to focus more on the legal and economic aspects of the rare book trade and provide support to our members in these areas.

3. What are VEBUKU’s plans for the Zurich Rare Book Fair next year?

It is no secret that trade fairs in general, and antiquarian book fairs in particular, are experiencing a crisis. The internet, as a constantly available exhibition venue, is increasingly replacing the adventure of visiting a fair in person. Against this backdrop, we had to develop a new concept with a significantly reduced budget for this year's March fair. Since the new concept has been successful, we will plan the next Zurich Rare Book Fair on this basis as well. The next fair will take place at the beginning of March 2026.

4. How would you describe the Swiss rare book trade today? Where are your members based? Where does the trade mainly happen? Have things changed in the last few years, and are there other significant developments that might compare to the international market or be uniquely Swiss?

I don't think the Swiss market differs significantly from other markets. Customers have become more international, and we are also struggling with supply exceeding demand. In Switzerland, topics such as Helvetica, alpinism, and tourism continue to sell well. Overall, however, I see a trend of booksellers expanding their traditional range to include different kinds of artwork. This trend may be assessed differently depending on the region and the dealer's customer base. One thing that unites us all, though, is our concern about the increasing trade barriers imposed by the EU and, more recently, the US, as well as the devaluation of the euro and US dollar against the Swiss franc. There is no indication that these challenges will diminish in the future. As booksellers in Switzerland, as well as the association, we will have to address these developments more intensely in the future.

5. When you're not working in your shop or answering VEBUKU emails, where might we find you? Do you have a favourite place you’d recommend to this community of booklovers?

It's a question with many possible answers. But if I may make a suggestion, it might be this: When I was a young professional, I worked for an architecture firm that was working on a project in Zurich for the renowned Italian designer Ettore Sottsass. Once, at a meeting, my boss asked Ettore if he could visit him in Milan, and if he would be willing to show his work. Ettore's eyes widened instantly and he replied indignantly: “My work? No! If you visit me in Milan, we'll go out to dinner! That's much more interesting than my work.” I still remember that moment today like it was yesterday. If I had to make a recommendation, though, it would be that there's no better place to learn about books and everything about them than over a good meal with good company.

To contact Georg Schneebeli, please click >> HERE

For more information about VEBUKU/SLACES, the Swiss antiquarian booksellers' association, please go >> HERE