Antiquarian Booksellers Association

A trade body for the UK’s antiquarian and rare book dealers, the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA) was founded in 1906. It runs the annual London International Antiquarian Book Fair at Olympia as well as the Chelsea Book Fair, with other events organised throughout the UK by the Provincial Book Fairs Association (PBFA).

ABA works closely with the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), the umbrella organisation for 32 countries.


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ABA signs off for 2023 with a party in a pop-up

18 December 2023

This year’s Antiquarian Booksellers Association Christmas Party took place on December 7 at Thomas Heneage’s pop-up show on Regent Street.

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Party time for booksellers

19 December 2022

The rare book trade was kept busy on the evening of December 9 with two parties taking place.

La fête de l’amitie

Firsts book fair racks up many extra dealers

15 August 2022

Firsts: London’s Rare Books Fair has added an impressive 49 dealers to the roster for its 65th edition thanks to an influx of international traders.

Daniel Crouch

Book sellers face extra export red tape

18 July 2022

New environmental laws in Germany and France mean overseas sellers of smaller items such as books are tackling another layer of red tape on top of those already presented by Brexit.

Charles Darwin’s ‘Tree of Life’ notebook

‘Happy Easter’ after Darwin books returned

11 April 2022

The book trade has called for institutions to be more proactive in reporting missing items after two notebooks belonging to Charles Darwin were mysteriously returned to Cambridge University Library.

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Firsts Online offers collectors a spot of armchair travelling

25 February 2022

From an 18th century bestseller to a 20th century modern fantasy first edition, the Antiquarian Booksellers Association’s fair offers buyers a chance to snap up antiquarian and rare books from the comfort of their homes this weekend.

Marc Chagall’s Vitraux pour Jérusalem

Over 150 dealers signed up for new transatlantic online book fair

19 July 2021

More details have been released about the new online book fair bringing North American and European book dealers together this month.

Pom Harrington

‘There are more book buyers out there than we realised’

10 May 2021

ATG interviews the new Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association president Pom Harrington

Phillips New York
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ABA Firsts fair gets new autumn staging online

26 August 2020

Firsts, London’s Rare Book Fair has announced a second staging for this year to take place next month.

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Firsts book fair moves to London's Saatchi Gallery

03 August 2020

The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA) is moving its annual flagship event Firsts – London’s Rare Book Fair from Battersea to Chelsea.

Export licensing unit reopens with digital applications

01 June 2020

The Export Licensing Unit (ELU), which closed under the March lockdown, has reopened with a new temporary procedure.

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ILAB to hold Covid 19 Crisis webinar

09 April 2020

The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) is to hold a webinar today (Thursday April 9) to discuss trading difficulties during the coronavirus shutdown.

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Footfall rises and sales top £3m for ABA’s Rare Book Fair in Battersea

17 June 2019

Visitors to the ABA’s 'Firsts: London’s Rare Book Fair' spent more than £3m over the events three days.

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Four places to see and buy art in London this weekend including Russian illustrations and Bugatti sculptures

07 June 2019

Before the explosion of art shows and fairs at the end of the month, there are still plenty of places to hunt out painting and sculpture around London.

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Four London book fairs will go into one week in June

21 May 2019

For the first time this year, the four fairs that make London a destination for bibliophiles in June will be held side-by-side across the space of just four days. ATG looks at the personality of each event.

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Shakespeare’s First Folio goes on display at London book fair

09 May 2019

A rare near-complete copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio is included in a loan display at Firsts: London’s Rare Book Fair.

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Actor, writer and rare book collector Stephen Fry reveals he will open ABA’s rare book fair Firsts

11 April 2019

Actor and writer Stephen Fry will open Firsts: London’s Rare Book Fair, the annual event from the Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA).

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New president of ABA the ‘first from north of Watford Gap’

08 April 2019

Book dealer Roger Treglown is the new president of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association.

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