Book Fair News - a chance to catch up on the news around the book fairs.

21.12.09. Well, it's all done for another year, and with a provisional 2010 calendar posted in the first week of November, the end of a successful one. However, one thing has been a disappointment, and that's the lack of book fair reviews. Reviewing bookshops almost become a sport this year, but hardly any fairs attract reviews. I'm at a loss to explain it, but all I can do is to encourage you all to share your views on the fairs that you visit. It remains to wish you a happy Christmas, and I will be back in the office on January 2nd.  Add a comment

21.12.09 Just added: Hexham Book Fair on March 7th.  Add a comment

20.12.09 Steve Tanti won't be holding any fairs in Winchester, or at St Anne's School venue in Southampton, in 2010. However, he plans a new fair in Southampton -- details as soon as we have them.  Add a comment

16.12.09. Nancy Hamilton of Fair Hare Book Fairs, has added the Havant Book Sale on January 31st.  Add a comment

16.12.09. Barry Thurston says that there will be a new exhibitor and 'many books drastically reduced as a special Christmas offer', at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens Book Fair on December 19th & 20th.  Add a comment

12.12.09. After last year's break the Hayle Book and Antique Fair returns in 2010 with eleven dates.  Add a comment

09.12.09. It occurs to me that I should perhaps point out that all the news relating to next year's fairs can be found here.  Add a comment

04.12.09. A late entry for Terry Coupland's Lichfield Book Fair on December 30th. Despite continuing knee problems, Terry has been persuaded that, with the support of friends and exhibitors, this popular fair can be held before the year's end.  Add a comment

24.11.09. Only three weeks after it was announced that Antiquarian Booksellers Association president Alan Shelley was standing down because of ill health, we are sorry to report that he has passed away ... more  Add a comment

18.11.09. The Central Library in Doncater will be holding a sale of withdrawn lending and reference books, CDs, DVDs and videos, at the meeting room on November 26th.  Add a comment

12.11.09. Chawton House Library are holding a fund raising Book Sale on December 5th, to enable them to expand their collection of early women's writing.  Add a comment

10.11.09. Alan Shelley has decided that he can no longer continue as Antiquarian Booksellers Association president owing to illness ... more  Add a comment

09.11.09. The PBFA are holding a new Military Fair at the Royal Logistics Corps Museum, Deepcut in Surrey, on November 15th. The event will also feature a talk by Andy Robertshaw on the archaeology of the First World War, entitled 'The Trench Detectives'.  Add a comment

02.11.09. Generous Colchester people have helped an annual charity book fair beat the recession and raise a record amount ... more  Add a comment

31.10.09. So far, fair dates for 2010 have only been trickling in, so I would remind organisers that is in their interest to get their dates to us as quickly as possible, as I will be posting a provisional calendar here next week.  Add a comment

20.10.09. LIiterary enthusiasts from Yorkshire and beyond came to Bedale at the weekend for the town’s annual October book and postcard fair ... more  Add a comment

15.10.09. Katy Martin is organising the Bentley Priory Winter Fair (about 50% books) on December 5th, and says that there are still a few stands left. Bentley Priory is the home of the Battle of Britain, an important London landmark and events there are very busy, with 5,000 people at the last open day. There will also be a craft fair in another part of the building.  Add a comment

12.10.09. Colin Baker is holding the first 'proper' book fair at Torquay Museum on November 14th, following the successful pilot fair in June. The £1 admission includes entry to the Museum (normally £4.50) and a very pleasant Coffee Shop. Museum attractions include extensive coverage of the excavations of Kent's Cavern and the popular Agatha Christie displays.  Add a comment

12.10.09. A first edition novel by an Ulster author who went down with the Lusitania in wartime 1915 will be offerd for sale at a book fair being held in Belfast on October 17th ... more  Add a comment

09.10.09. Last minute heads-up for the fundraising Book Sale at St James South Elmham in Suffolk on the 10th & 11th of October. 50p admission and about 7,000 donated books.  Add a comment
    Definitely one for the general reader and not the collector or dealer. Pleasant staff though. Avid Book Collector. - 12.10.09.

08.10.09. Given today's appetite for nostalgia and genealogy, Nancy Hamilton's addition of a postcard specialist to the mix at the next New Forest Book Fair seems like a smart move - particularly as they are offering free valuations to the public.  Add a comment

08.10.09. Mission accomplished - aged mother installed in attractive and friendly care home ten minutes walk away. I could write at length about the energy the process has consumed, but instead I will update the site and try and sell a few books ...   Add a comment

04.10.09. Rehousing aged mother in Stroud and hope things will be back to normal by midweek. She's much better, thanks for asking.   Add a comment

28.09.09. Distant mother hospitalised again so out of office until the end of the week.  Add a comment

26.09.09. Tom Lawson has pointed out that we had Bedale Book Fair listed as the 10th, when it should be October 18th. I do ask organisers to check the dates we have listed ... but a few always slip through.   Add a comment

26.09.09. As part of the Havant Literary Festival (25th September - October 4th) Nancy Hamilton will be holding the first Havant Book Fair on October 3rd. The fair will have everything from light reading to collectable fiction and nonfiction titles, and is near the main central car parks. As an added attraction, children's author Sandra Horn will be signing her books after 1.00 pm.  Add a comment

22.09.09. On Saturday 26th St Catherine's Church, The Leigh, Gloucestershire, are holding a fund raising book sale. Penny Evans says that there will be thousands of books.  Add a comment

21.09.09. Peter Dryden says that there are still a few tables available at the Pevensey Book and Ephemera Fair on October 17th, where the admission and refreshment monies will be donated to Macmillan Cancer Support. You can contact him on 01323 765915.  Add a comment

16.09.09. Jon Smith has been away but rang today to confirm that his Rochdale Book Fair on September 19th has indeed been moved to the Longridge Civic Centre.   Add a comment

12.09.09. Mrs Mann of Forest Books thinks that Jon Smith's Rochdale Book Fair on September 19th has changed venue to the Civic Centre, Longridge. Despite leaving an answerphone massage, I've heard nothing from Jon, so I can only advise attempting to contact him on 0161 7974786 before travelling. Sorry I can't do more but I'm away visiting my aged mother until Tuesday.  Add a comment

08.09.09. Sadly I wont get the opportunity to visit the York National Book Fair on September 11th & 12th, but with nearly 200 leading bookdealers under one roof - the largest rare and antiquarian book fair in Europe - it's well worth the effort.  Add a comment

02.09.09. Frank Stringer and Brecken McPhee have cancelled the September 19th Cheltenham Book Fair and all the subsequent dates. Frank says that there is still some interest in a regular fair, perhaps at a different venue and on a Sunday, but whether they will try again remains to be seen.  Add a comment

29.08.09. My mother has been rushed into hospital 130 miles away, so no news or updates until I can get back to the office.  Add a comment

21.08.09. I'm out of the office between August 22nd and the 31st, so no news or updates until then.  Add a comment

18.08.09. For the first time, Nancy Hamilton's Wimborne fair on September 19th will feature specialist ephemera stalls, along with the usual quality secondhand books for the reader and collector.  Add a comment

10.08.09. David Mann has confirmed that the Wye Book Fair will be going ahead on the 7th of November. The cost of a table remains the same at £20.00, but closing time has been brought forward to 2.00.  Add a comment

05.08.09. After some difficulty confirming future dates with the venue, Brecken McPhee and Frank Stringer have now announced the rest of this year's dates for the Cheltenham Book Fair.  Add a comment

01.08.09. I've just added Peter Dryden's Pevensey Book and Ephemera Fair, which this year takes place on October 17th.  Add a comment

27.07.09. The Methodist Church Centre in Lichfield are holding their well-established annual Secondhand Book Sale on the 7th & 8th of August. You will find up to 5000 books, donated in aid of church and community funds, and there are public car parks at the rear of the church.  Add a comment

20.07.09. I've just added a new monthly London fair organised by Kim Jeffery. The Etc Book Fair is being held at the Royal National Hotel, the first date is July 26th, and you can find the rest of this year's dates here   Add a comment

06.07.09. Barnstaple library will be holding its first ever Grand Book Sale of withdrawn library stock on Saturday, July 18th. The books will be for sale at bargain prices and come from all across Devon; they cover a wide range of subjects from history, health and travel to biographies, fiction and children's books ... more   Add a comment

06.07.09. Visitors to the PBFA book fair in Atherstone on 11th July can claim 10% discount at Throckmorton's Bookshop (tickets required as proof).  Add a comment

29.06.09. It saddened me to announce the cancellation of the remaining Bristol Book Fairs, particularly as they were by far the friendliest fairs I attended. But now the June dust has settled, what is the general view of the health of the UK's book fairs? Whilst there are quite a few stiff upper-lips about, I think that the general view is that it was not as bad as many feared and better than some expected. One thing is clear, and it is that for any fair to be successful nowadays both the organisers and exhibitors have to be committed to upping their game. Imaginative publicity coupled with better use of the internet, and of course, interesting fresh stock, still seem to be attracting customers who are willing to spend.   Add a comment

13.06.09. Keith and Jane Simmonds are sorry to announce that they have canceled the remaining Bristol Book Fairs, which would have been held on June 28th and October 29th. They say that due to the increasing trend of stall holders withdrawing -- often at the last minute -- it is no longer tenable to continue. The venue has also been regularly increasing its hire charges but they have never passed these on to either stall holders or customers. They would like to thank everyone for their support, and if anyone would like to take over the reins, please contact them immediately.  Add a comment

29.05.09. I'm out of the office until 11.06.09, so no news or updates until then.  Add a comment

29.05.09. This year the School of Oriental & African Studies are holding their annual Anglo-American Conference Book Fair on July 2-3. Only NEW books will be on sale but discounts will be offered by top academic publishers, including CUP, Reaktion Books and Boydell & Brewer.  Add a comment

14.05.09. Marc Harrison of Ellwood Books has organised a small book fair to compliment their first auction on May 18th & 19th. Ten stalls will share space with the auction in Salisbury's Guildhall, and Marc hopes this will help to create a buzzy atmosphere in which bargains may be had.  Add a comment

05.05.09. Organisers of the Annual Christian Aid Book Sale at St Andrew's and St George's Church were delighted to discover an 1822 celestial atlas compiled by Scottish amateur astronomer Alexander Jamieson among the volumes donated ... more  Add a comment

05.05.09. Colin Baker is staging a new fair at the Torquay Musem on Saturday, June 6th. The museum is in the heart of the town, 5 minutes from the Harbour, and is famous for its exhibits ranging from Pre-history (Kent's Cavern) to Agatha Christie.  Add a comment

01.05.09. The PBFA have launched a website for what they are now calling the International London Bookfairs, in June. And Andrew Marr the renowned political commentator, journalist, author and broadcaster is the Patron of this year’s Antiquarian Book Fair, Olympia 4-6 June 2009.  Add a comment

27.04.09. The Scottish Ornithologists' Club annual Book Fair will be held at their headquarters in Aberlady, East Lothian, on May 9th. There will be a wide range of new and secondhand natural history books and journals from the SOC and guest dealers - Shearwater, Jay Books and the RSPB.  Add a comment

20.04.09. The Settle Book Fair, which was to be held on July 25th and was cancelled due to a double booking, has been rescheduled for August 8th. Add a comment

14.04.09. Pete Fry, organiser of the Clapham Village Book Fairs in Yorkshire, has pointed out that we had the second of his fairs wrongly listed as being on July 9th -- it should be July 19th.  Add a comment

10.04.09. Now in its 29th consecutive year, the London Antique Map Fair is the largest in Europe and the most well established event of its kind in the world ... more  Add a comment

06.04.09. IOW fair organiser, Stephen Lloyd, has added a Freshwater Book, Postcard & Ephemera Fair to his island itinerary and this year it will be held on June 20th.  Add a comment

01.04.09. Weather permitting, Croydon Animal Samaritans are holding a Charity Book Sale outside the Alliance and Leicester, on April 18th.  Add a comment

27.03.09. I must confess to being rather surprised that so few book fair visitors wish to share their impressions of these events and the dealers that stand at them. By contrast, some secondhand bookshops now have three or four reviews -- sometimes completely contradictory -- but usually helpful in deciding where to visit. It couldn't be easier to share your thoughts -- just click the 'Add a comment' link beneath any fair listing, to let us know what you think.  Add a comment

23.03.09. The fourth Horndean Book Fair on the 29th, will once again bringing booksellers from six counties (this time including both a Devon and even a Lancashire bookdealer!), so there is always something new alongside popular southern counties' regulars. This time there will also be the specialist in ordnance and antiquarian maps.  Add a comment

19.03.09. The Settle Book Fair, which was to be held on July 25th, has been cancelled due to a double booking. However, the organiser is hopeful that she can find an alternative venue. Add a comment

14.03.09. I've just added Judith Goodman's Church Stretton Book Fair dates, which this year are May 30th and October 31st. As ever, the fairs will endeavor to provide a good mix of antiquarian, collectable and secondhand books to suit all tastes. Add a comment

12.03.09. Visitors to the PBFA Book Sale at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge on the 14th are advised that there are continuing works to the railway bridge on Hills Road, and you should expect delays.  Add a comment

03.03.09. The MABP foundation have asked if I would draw your attention to the 3rd Maastricht Antiquarian Book & Print Fair, which this year is being held over the weekend of March 19th - 21st.  Add a comment

23.02.09. I've just added Steve Marshall's Sevenoaks Book Fair dates, which this year are:18th April, 15th August and 24th October.  Add a comment

18.02.09. It was a big book week in San Francisco with both the book arts and antiquarian segments of the book trade hosting their largest events of the year. Michael Lieberman was interested to see how these events would fair in the current economic climate of doom and gloom ... more  Add a comment

11.02.09. Nancy Hamilton is organising the first Havant Book Fair, as part of the Havant Literary Festival, on Saturday, 3rd October. All enquiries to Nancy on 023 80781927, or at Fair Hare Books 01489 795917.  Add a comment

05.01.09. Just added: Colin Bakers two dates in Torquay -- a town which is now sadly without a secondhand bookshop -- and David Mann's three Wye Book Fairs, in Kent.  Add a comment

04.01.09. If you can afford to flee the freeze, the California International Antiquarian Book Fair opens on February 13th ... more  Add a comment

31.01.09. Jacqui Raggett is once again organising the Epsom Charity Book Fair, which is now in in its 8th year and runs from the 19-21st February. As usual there will be a dealer preview on the evening of the 18th, admission to which will cost you a tenner.  Add a comment

27.01.09. I've just added the 3rd Working Class Book Fair, which is being held on the 14th of March in North Sheilds. This year's event marks the 25th Anniversary of the start of the miners strike, and there will be new and secondhand books for sale.  Add a comment

13.01.09. Viv Cooper, organiser of the long-running Cardiff Book Fair, has only so far committed himself to one date in 2009, January 24th. The subtext is clear --- if you don't want to loose the Welsh capital's only regular book fair, turn up on the 24th.  Add a comment

05.01.09. I was pleased to receive a couple of recent fair reviews, which I've featured in this news section. However, I feel that they should appear attached to the fair's listing in the calendar, and here are a couple of examples of how this will work. I hope this simple, and I think rather elegant solution provided by Colin, will encourage more of you to share your thoughts on the fairs you visit.  Add a comment

01.01.09. Welcome to the 2009 Book Fair Calendar. I've just added: Tony Mulholland's Rye Book Fair -- which this year has an extra summer date -- and the new White Lodge Book Fair, in Northampton. Also: Stewart Cowie's Leeds Book Fair -- which will relocate to a new venue after a break in the summer -- and the Richmond Station Book Fair. Add a comment

2008 Book Fair News