The Scottish Branch of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association invites you to our 19th Edinburgh Book Fair on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th March 2008, in the Music Hall of the Assembly Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh

Welcome to the 2008 Edinburgh Book Fair

The Scottish Branch of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association invites you to the 19^th Edinburgh Antiquarian Book Fair on Friday 14^th and Saturday 15^th March 2008, in the Music Hall of the Assembly Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh. Over 35 members of the ABA will be exhibiting, and for the fourth time our colleagues in the Provincial Book Fairs Association (PBFA) will be holding a fair simultaneously, in the Edinburgh Suite of the Assembly Rooms: now established as simply "The Edinburgh Book Fair," this is the only occasion upon which the two national organisations of dealers in secondhand and antiquarian books, maps and manuscripts cooperate in this way. The PBFA can usually count on at least 45 exhibitors, and the whole event therefore brings over 80 booksellers under one roof, offering a wide range of material to suit all tastes and budgets. As befitting a fair in the first UNESCO World City of Literature, great Scottish writers, scientists, engineers, philosophers, artists and travellers will be well represented, but this is by no means a purely Scottish event: material from all over the world will be represented, and our participants will include specialists in maps and atlases, children’s literature, gardening, military, sporting and cookery books, from ancient and modern times and at prices ranging from a few pounds to tens of thousands.

The 2007 fair attracted over 2,000 visitors, a figure we hope to improve upon in the forthcoming year. A consistent feature of the Edinburgh Book Fair is our exhibition of books and related material, usually to mark an anniversary: last year’s was a fine display of books, maps and manuscripts comemmorating 300 Years of Union, drawing upon material loaned by members of both the ABA and the PBFA. This year, ABA member Keith Fletcher will be displaying a large selection from his museum-quality collection of books, prints and models illustrating "The Pre-History of the Motor Car, 1600 to 1850." Previously seen at the Chelsea Book Fair in November 2007, it displays "those prehistoric monsters moved by crank and lever, cog and pedal, wind or steam" that preceded cars: one need not be interested in books or even transport to be charmed and impressed by this delightful exhibition.

Alan Grant
Grant & Shaw Ltd., 10 Leslie Place, Edinburgh EH4 1NH
Tel: 0131 332 8088
E-mail: grantshaw@btconnect.com