Antiquarian Booksellers Association

Two antiquarian book fairs held by the Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA) and Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA) kicked off Rare Books London last week. The ABA’s London International Antiquarian Book ran from June 1-3 and the PBFA’s London International Premier Fair ran from June 1-2. Here, ATG takes you on a journey through the two west London events.

The Antiquarian Booksellers Association will participate in its first BADA fair as it gears up for its summer festival of old and rare books later this year.

The Chelsea Book Fair, which closed November 5 after a two-day run, has reported an increase in sales of nearly 50% on last year’s fair.

The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) elected a new president and vice-president at their recent biannual OGM.

The 59th London International Antiquarian Book Fair (or “book paradise” as described by author Mark Beech in an admiring Facebook post), drew more than 180 book dealers to Olympia. View ATG's exclusive photogallery from the drinks reception held at the end of the fair’s second day.

The British Antique Dealers’ Association (BADA) and the Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA) have announced plans to create a ‘memorandum of understanding’ between the two venerable trade bodies.

This bizarrely dressed young man is the 23-year-old Alfred Hitchock, the film director who went on to make Psycho, North by North West, The Birds and Vertigo.

The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association is taking the fight to forgers after one of its members was instrumental in bringing serial forger Allan Formhals to justice.

YOU get the impression that the Chelsea Antiquarian Book Fair does not take itself too seriously – the opening page of the website bears the famous Groucho Marx quotation: "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

THE Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA) has held its first ever contested election for the posts of president and vice president in its 105-year history.

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.

ALAN Shelley has decided that he can no longer continue as Antiquarian Booksellers Association president owing to illness.

OXFAM remain defiant in the face of criticism from the antiquarian book trade who say the charity is threatening their livelihoods.

THERE were notable sales in the first hour of the two fairs which opened at Olympia in West London last Thursday.

THE Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA) has stepped up its efforts to recover books stolen by its former president, David Slade, from Sir Evelyn de Rothschild.

A FORMER president of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association has admitted stealing dozens of books from Sir Evelyn de Rothschild valued at a total of around £230,000.