Melbourne Rare Book Week and 39th ANZAAB Australian Antiquarian Book Fair - July 19th to 29th, 2012

On Thursday night the The Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers (ANZAAB) launched the inaugural Melbourne Rare Book Week, which culminates in the 39th ANZAAB Australian Antiquarian Book Fair from 27th to 29th September 2012, when 35 leading Australian, English and American dealers will be exhibiting rare and valuable books, manuscripts, autographs, maps, prints and photographies of all ages and for all prices at the ANZAAB Rare Book Fair at Wilson Hall, The University of Melbourne.

This is a new direction for the presentation of ANZAAB's rare book fairs. By inviting Melbourne's literary community to take part in a program of free book-related lectures, exhibitions and events during the Melbourne Rare Book Week from 19th to 29th July, a wide audience of booklovers will be reached. If you are curious about books and what makes them collectable, and fascinated by ephemeral items that capture the spirit of a time, or you are drawn to prints that illustrate the history of mankind and maps that reflect the peaks and perils of travel and adventure, then Melbourne is the place to be this July. Feel inspired by the amazing program!

Thursday July 19th

A Melbourne Conversation - The Culture of the Book: Celebrating our City of Literature

Rare or ubiquitous, printed or digital, the book is central to our literary status in this the National Year of Reading. Join our literary luminaries and bibliophiles as they tell their stories, celebrate books and reading, and reflect on the future of the book and bookshops in Melbourne.

6 – 7:30 pm: BMW Edge

Thursday July 19th to Sunday July 29th

Melbourne by the Book - Ancillary Event

A special walking tour during Melbourne Rare Book Week. Discover Melbourne as a UNESCO City of Literature with Fiona Sweetman as she tours significant sites in the city's publishing, bookselling and literary history, whilst adding insight into the contemporary book world in Melbourne. The walking tour takes in some of the best-loved bookstores, and guides you through the inspiration and characters from famous books.

2 hours, starting at 2 pm: Federation Square

Saturday July 21st

Rare Books Day - From Gutenberg to Superman

Is there a priceless treasure on your bookshelf? Bring along your favorite collection items – from Bibles to comics – for free assessment by specialist Melbourne booksellers Peter Arnold, Stuart Kells, Douglas Stewart and Mick Stone. Library book conservators will give advice on the preservation, storage and handling of books, diaries, albums, comics and paper ephemera. - Presented by the State Library of Victoria.

1 -5 pm: Queen’s Hall, State Library of Victoria

Monday July 23rd

Launch - Knowledge through Print: a Melbourne Perspective

Sally Burdon, President of ANZAAB, will launch this exhibition which takes its inspiration from Printing and the Mind of Man, the great London event of 1963, but aims — in much smaller compass — to recognise some of the things that have changed in half a century. The exhibition will be open to visitors from Monday to Sunday (8:30 am - 10 pm) at the Ballieu Library. - Presented by the University of Melbourne.

5:30 - 7:30 pm: Baillieu Library, The University of Melbourne

Monday July 23rd to Friday July 27th

Exhibition - Books from Redmond Barry’s Personal Library

Sir Redmond Barry was the first Solicitor-General of Victoria, a renowned social and cultural philanthropist, and the founding father of both the University of Melbourne and the State Library of Victoria. In the 1950s, a small portion of his book collection made its way, through the generosity of donors, to the libraries of St Mary's College and Newman College. A selection of these will be on display, revealing something of Barry’s diversity of interests and his close reading of the texts, particularly during his student days at Trinity College Dublin.

9 am - 5 pm: St Mary’s and Newman Academic Centre

Monday July 23rd to Friday July 27th

Exhibition - Olympic Memories of London: Publications from the Games of 1908 and 1948

Since it was founded in 1873 the Melbourne Cricket Club Library has built an impressive collection of sporting books and ephemera. This exhibition draws on publications relating to the Olympic Games held in London in 1908 and 1948.

10 am - 4 pm: Melbourne Cricket Club Library

Monday July 23rd to Friday July 27th

Exhibition - Books Never Die: an Exhibition of the History of the Book

Monash University, Rare Books Section will be mounting an exhibition demonstrating the history of the book across six centuries. Drawn from the 130,000 items held in the collection, the display will include an illuminated manuscript page, chapbooks, broadsides, encyclopaedias, bark and palm leaf books, as well as the Monash University Library’s oldest held book, the Mammotrectus Super Bibliam (1476).

8 am - 9 pm: Matheson Library, Monash University

Tuesday July 24th

Lecture by Andrew Lemon - Extraordinary Books from Ordinary People

Since its foundation in 1909, the backbone of the RHSV has been the books and papers donated by members of the Victorian public. "Ordinary" people have donated items that have now become extraordinarily rare. The President of the Society, Dr Andrew Lemon, will present this lecture which highlights the character of the collection and its significance for Victoria's cultural heritage. - Lecture, presented by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

12 – 2 pm: Royal Historical Society

Tuesday July 24th

Lecture by Richard Overell - John Loder's Crime Collection

From the 1940s to 2010, Melbourne book collector John Loder put together an extraordinary collection of Australian crime fiction. In 2011 the collection was auctioned in Melbourne. Richard Overell, Rare Books Librarian at Monash University, will tell the story of Loder's collection, from his earliest purchases through to the collection’s dispersal through the antiquarian book trade. - Lecture, presented by the State Library of Victoria

6 – 7 pm: Conference Centre, State Library of Victoria

Wednesday July 25th

Lecture by Nicholas Jones - Transformed Books

From his temporary studio at the Athenaeum Library, Melbourne book sculptor Nicholas Jones will give insights into his methods, and demonstrate his technique in transforming 'discarded' books into coveted works of art. - Lecture and demonstration, presented by the Melbourne Athenaeum Library

12 - 1:30 pm: Melbourne Athenaeum Library

Wednesday July 25th

Reading - Rare Letters: the Correspondence of 84 Charing Cross Road

A reading of selected letters from Helene Hanff's 84 Charing Cross Road, featuring acclaimed actress Julia Blake, and presented by Reader's Feast Bookstore. - Presented by Reader's Feast Bookstore

6:15 - 8 pm: Reader's Feast Bookstore

Thursday July 26th

Lecture and Demonstration - Page by page: Artists' Books Viewing

Slip on a pair of white gloves and view artists’ books from the State Library’s collection with Rare Printed Collections Manager Des Cowley. Experience the tactile pleasure of turning the pages of stunning and original artists’ books, which were made to be read and handled. - Presented by the State Library of Victoria

11 - 11:45 am: State Library of Victoria

Thursday July 26th

Lecture by Bryan A. Garner - The Utility and Pleasure of Collecting Antiquarian Lawbooks

Bryan A. Garner is not only a prolific legal author but also a prodigious collector of lawbooks. His personal library contains 32,000 volumes, including what is perhaps the finest private collection of law dictionaries (the earliest dating from 1491). Garner’s lecture will highlight the finest association copies in his collection, with the fascinating inside stories behind them. - Lecture, presented by the Melbourne Law School

Friday July 27th - Sunday July 29th

39th ANZAAB Antiquarian Book Fair

The 39th ANZAAB Australian Antiquarian Book Fair. Leading antiquarian booksellers from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States will be exhibiting an impressive array of fine, rare and collectable books, prints, maps and ephemera, with prices to suit all budgets.

6:30 – 10 pm: Wilson Hall, The University of Melbourne

Saturday - Sunday, July 28th - 29th

Cultural Treasures Festival

The biennial University of Melbourne Cultural Treasures Festival is a program of exhibitions, thematic walks, talks and seminars, demonstrations and displays, and guided tours which showcase the University's rich array of museums and collections.

10 am – 4 pm: The University of Melbourne

For more information:

please visit the websites www.rarebookweek.com and www.rarebookfair.com