I have just taken part in a talk titled ‘Shelf Improvement.’ The title says it all: it was aimed at young book collectors who wanted to win a prize for their book collection. It was a joint venture between The Bibliographical Society and the Institute of English Studies. Fortunately for me it took place in the magnificent Senate House Library on Russell Square in London. I see it every month as it is just a few hundred yards from the book fairs. I particularly wanted to see the view from up high but the weather was so bad I could not see a thing out of the windows, just the rain! It is a beautiful building though, and I have not been in it for a long time, so it was good to be there. I spoke on behalf of the PBFA about our ‘Young Book Collector of the Year’ competition. This has been going for two years now and our third, for 2026, will be launched properly in April at our book fair in Oxford. I am always happy to encourage book collecting – and I am always happy to buy book collections too. I love hearing the stories behind the collections, and it’s good to know that the books will be passed on to others who appreciate and value them.
Oxford is in April; but Cambridge is coming up quickly, later this month. If you have a book collection to sell, please get in touch! I sell a lot of books at book fairs and I need stock already. I’m also keen to buy ephemera, manuscripts, photographs, postcards and more. A few photos is a good place to start, and you can send them to me on 07769 318895 or to jeremy@antiquarianbookcompany.com.
[divider_flat]2026. Shelf Improvement talk about book collections.