‘A noble declaration of the importance of books to the community and to the future of civilisation’ reads the strap line on this thin little book published in 1942. At the time Britain was at war and paper for books was in short supply. You often find a note in war-time books saying it was ‘produced in complete conformity with the authorised economy standards.’ This means it was printed on thinner paper, with smaller type, which were good ways to save vital resources.
But is it still true? Does ‘Britain Need Books’, with rise of the internet and AI? I have written about this before and will return to it in more depth soon. What I do know is that Britain needs book collectors – there are not many young ones about now, and a lot of books are going unsold simply because nobody wants them.
But here’s the good news – I might want them! I sell a lot of books at book fairs and you might have just the sort I need. The best way to find out is to send me a photograph of the books just as they are on the shelves. As long as I can read the titles, that’s all I need. Laying the books out in rows, or flat on the table is also a good way. There’s no need to take one picture of each book, or to open any of them.
This summer I’m getting ready for big two-day book fairs in London, Bath and York. I need to buy old maps, good quality antiquarian books, ephemera, postcards or photo albums. I’d also love to buy old hippie newspapers, punk rock fanzines and kitschy paperbacks. In fact if it’s on paper, I could well be interested, so please get in touch – you never know!
[divider_flat]National Book Council, 1942. First edition. A difficult book to find, oddly enough, particularly in the dust jacket.