Meet the ILAB Congress Scholarship Winners 2024: Dr Fiona L. Philip

Not entirely new to the world of bookselling, Fiona made the transition to full-time bookselling in November 2022, after several years of part-time trading as Quair Books. Based in West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom, her primary focus is on books and print culture produced by women, as well as queer, alternative and radical groups.

Since joining the PBFA in autumn 2017, she has exhibited at several UK fairs each year and maintains a presence on platforms such as Abebooks, short e-lists and her own website. In 2018, Fiona attended the UK antiquarian book seminar, YABS (York Antiquarian Book Seminar), supported by an ABE Books Scholarship and was a member of the ILAB International Mentoring Programme with a year-long mentorship with Christian White (Christian White Rare Books, Leeds).

Her academic background is equally impressive. After completing an undergraduate degree in History & Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge, she began working at Unsworth's Antiquarian Booksellers in London, where her passion for rare books was ignited. She furthered her studies with an MA in Gender Studies and a PhD from the University of Leeds, focusing on the inter-war works of the modernist author and impresario Bryher. Her decade-long career as a lecturer and researcher underlines her scholarly engagement with book history and culture.

In 2022, Fiona was interviewed by the Antiques Trade Gazette for their article "The Next Generation", have a look HERE! (insert link: https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/print-edition/2022/may/2543/books-maps-prints-2022/the-next-generation-the-book-trade-is-so-varied-it-is-always-possible-to-find-a-corner-to-make-your-own/)

Can we add some interview questions here?
1. What excites you about this - admittedly very particular - world we work in?

The unexpected discoveries, the interesting and extraordinary people and the invitation, and need, to continue learning.

2. Why did you apply for this scholarship - what do you expect from the week in Amsterdam?

To connect with booksellers based in Europe and further afield. I'm looking forward to meeting new people, the behind-the-scenes visits to outstanding libraries and collections, and finding time to browse in bookshops.

3. What are the biggest challenges for a new bookseller and how can the rare book trade help and support?

To learn the particular ways and culture of the rare book trade and find one's place in it, if you've not first worked in a firm. Initiatives like YABS, CABS and ILAB's mentoring scheme are invaluable, as, in my experience, is the collegiality of established booksellers.

Image above: Fiona at the recent York Antiquarian Book Fair