News, Features & Interviews

Our News page includes interviews with librarians, book dealers and others from the book trade, as well as details on events, announcements and developments from the literary world.

View the latest Stories below, or search for past entries.

  • The Heart Sutra, Providence Press

    News Story

    Providence Press in California is publishing a new translation of one of the most profound and revered texts in Buddhism, The Heart Sutra.

    Understood to be "the most frequently used and recited text in the entire Mahayana Buddhist tradition" (Brunnhölzl, Karl, September 29, 2017) The Heart Sutra has been translated into English dozens of times...

  • Special Guests at The International Rare Book Fair in Paris

    News Story

    The ABA's second virtual fair of 2020, Firsts Online, is returning this week from 10-14th September.

    Over 110 exhibitors from 16 countries will each offer up to 20 highlights on the Firsts website which will be live from 2pm on 10th September, through to midnight on 14th September.

    New items will be added throughout the event so the ABA...

  • National Trust restructuring plans cause a storm

    News Story

    A recent internal document issued by The National Trust’s Visitor Experience department entitled ‘Towards a Ten-Year Vision for Places and Experiences’ has caused quite the stir since being leaked by The Times

    Below we share some of the opinions and comments from collecting institutions and the media, since this document came to light.

     ...

  • HALL (T.) The Queen's Royal Cookery, 1713 £ 700 - 900

    News Story

    During lockdown many of us have probably tried some new recipes and looked through cookery books for inspiration. I have to confess, I am always tempted by an antiquarian cookery book, although when it comes to actually attempting any recipes from it, my success rate is rather low.

    Bonhams Knightsbridge is now selling a stunning, and...

  • Oscar Wilde Confessions

    News Story

    This week Sotheby’s is to offer a questionnaire completed by Oscar Wilde as he sat on the cusp of stardom in 1877.

    It is a fascinating recording of the young writer's passions and preferences across thirty-nine questions..

    Wilde was in his early twenties when he contributed to the album of “Mental Photographs” in 1877. He was still at Oxford...

  • Firsts London moves to Saatchi Gallery for 2021

    News Story

    The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association announced yesterday that its annual flagship event Firsts – London’s Rare Book Fair will move to a brand new venue at Saatchi Gallery next year, with an expanded event schedule taking place from 20th-23rd May 2021. The UK’s most prestigious rare book fair expects to call the contemporary exhibition space...

  • An Author Recreation Challenge

    News Story

    The Book Collector is taking a break from Podcasts and Newsletters this August, and during this time we thought we would keep the minds of our readers and followers busy with a little challenge…

    Recently a portrait of EM Forster set an Auction record for painter Roger Fry (1866-1934) when it sold for £260,000 at Bonhams in London on 1st July....

  • Christopher Plantin: 500 years

    News Story

    CHRISTOPHER PLANTIN was born 500 years ago this May and is being commemorated by Antwerp’s Plantin-Moretus Museum in a series of exhibitions intended to run through the rest of 2020 (corona volente).

    The museum has made available online and in high-res some 14,000 woodcuts, including those from Plantin’s Biblia sacra (1583), which cover all...

  • Firsts London 2020 Highlights

    News Story

    Covid-19 has changed our daily lives in many ways and for book fairs it has certainly meant a speedy transfer online. ‘Firsts London’, the prestigious and highly esteemed book fair, due to take place in early June, decided to go digital instead. It was the first such venture for the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association and deemed such a whopping...

  • Joseph Banks Florilegium Part 2

    News Story

    The Making of Joseph Banks' Florilegium, Part II: 1771 to 1990

    Joseph Banks’ botanical discoveries during the Endeavour voyage of 1768-71 revolutionised European understanding of natural history. But it took more than 200 years to realise his plans for a scientific catalogue of botanical finds from around the world.

    Dr Anke Timmermann FLS...