Guided Tours of the Chelsea Fair on Saturday 3rd Nov.
Following the success of the Guided Tours at the London International Antiquarian Book Fair at Olympia in May, there will be various tours around the Chelsea Antiquarian Book Fair. These will take place on Saturday, November 3rd. The Tours are designed to take very small groups of up to six visitors who wish to learn more about books on a particular subject. If you would like to join one of these tours, please visit the ABA Desk on the stage to register your place.
Places on the tours are free although an entirely discretionary donation of £5 towards the ABA’s Educational Trust would be most welcome. The ABA Educational Trust was formed with the broad aim of advancing education of the public in the knowledge of the book and its role in our heritage. (Charity Commission Registered Number: 1078700)
The planned 30-minute tours include:
“Back to Childhood” with Sam Jonkers of Jonkers Rare Books - 12 noon
A tour for young and old focusing on all time favourites as well as classic children's literature and illustrations. A chance to discover how much your favourite childhood book is now worth, but also to learn about how to start collecting or building on the few books which have survived from your childhood days.
“Finding the perfect gift” with Giles Lyon of Worlds End Bookshop - 12.30pm
There is no doubt that an antiquarian book makes the ideal gift for a special person for Christmas or as a personal gift for a wedding, birthday or a Christening. Our guide will help you to understand what to look out for and how to find that unique gift among the treasures on sale at the Fair.
“Books are Art” with Sophie Schneideman of Sophie Schneideman Rare Books - 1.30pm
Go on a tour around the Fair and see some of the most beautifully bound and illustrated books. Discover how they can make fantastic features in your home and learn about how to look after them properly and what to consider when buying a book for ‘arts sake’.
“Quirky Chelsea” with Stephen Foster - 2pm
Discover some of the most unconventional books, illustrations and ephemera at the Chelsea Fair. Some may tell you a bit about local history, others will be chosen for their sheer quirkiness or background story.
“Vive la France!” with John Robertshaw - 2.30pm
A part-bilingual tour of French books and books on France to celebrate the French Toussaint bank holiday. The tour will highlight exquisite examples of French books, but will also assist with starting a collection specialising on all things French.
“Books, James Bond Books” with Jon Gilbert of Adrian Harrington Ltd. - 3.00pm
Meet Jon Gilbert, the author of the newly launched Ian Fleming Bibliography and talk to him about your own collection of Bond books or how to get started. Coinciding with all the Bond celebrations in November – the 50th Anniversary of the Dr. No movie and the release of new film Skyfall – this is a great opportunity to get a fascinating insight into the books of Fleming's best loved character. Assuming Jon's new bibliography has been published in time for Chelsea, the tour will then be followed by a book signing of his Bond Bibliography published by the Flemings' own Queen Anne Press. This will be conducted on the stage in the Main Hall.
...Interested?
Please note that tour titles, guides, content and start times may be subject to last minute change or cancellation. (Regrettably, the "Literary London" Tour has been cancelled - we hope to offer this tour next year.)
