Ambassador of the NY Antiquarian Book Fair!
Announcements for the future and book fair memories from the past <3
I’m so happy to share some fun news!! 🙂
I’ve been invited officially to join the beloved annual NY International Antiquarian Book Fair and the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) in celebrating 75 years of literary treasures. The dates of the book fair this year are April 4-7, and I’ll be attending not only as an annual patron and admirer, but for the first time with my bran new titles of Ambassador of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair and Co-Host of the ABAA’s 75th Anniversary event! This is such an incredible honor and I can’t wait to share more updates and details as everything is confirmed. At the bottom of this post you’ll find my personal discount code reserved for Substack subscribers in case you would like to purchase tickets and join me!
In the lead up to the fair, I’ll be co-hosting the 75th Anniversary celebration with ABAA at Bibliotheque - a reading concept spot which opened here in NYC in 2023. Bibliotheque is a bookstore café by day and a wine bar by night. On their menu here you can find a fun list of book+wine pairings curated special by NYC wine professionals. I’m actually sitting here now as I type this to you. The owner, AJ Jacono took the above photo of me just this morning, and David Chang, our calligrapher friend is here, too, and will also be doing something special for the fair.
Lots of magic in the air!
**As part of the book fair programming, I’m also going to be hosting and moderating a panel discussion on the morning of Saturday April 6! I’ll share details of the timing, panelists, and topics very soon. Please make sure to save the date, though!!**
My Personal History with the NY Antiquarian Book Fair
The first time my mom brought me to the book fair many years ago, I felt so at home. The location itself, the people and energy, the sellers and collectors, people from all walks of life and parts of the world joined together in the majestic space of the Park Avenue Armory, connected through the air by a shared passion for antiquarian books. There is truly something exciting there for everyone. Rare books and first editions, manuscripts and maps, children’s books, illustrations, chapbooks and prints. Magazines and sheet music. Postcards and photographs. Interesting objects and artifacts. Things from all eras. From all around the world. Things to evoke memories, to lift the heart, to inspire the imagination, to ignite new creativity.Â
Along with the items themselves, an important element of the book fair is the people. The friends I have made there, both through my mom and on my own, have enriched my experiences and brought deep magic and adventure to my life. In a previous post I talked about my friend Will Baker, who hosted a booth at the fair in 2023 through his W.C. Baker Rare Books and Ephemera. Will and I had corresponded for a long while on Instagram through Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, of which he is an advisor. I was so excited last year when he told me he would be displaying his collection at the fair, that we could finally meet and talk in person. I spent a lot of time at his booth throughout the weekend, meeting collectors and sharing stories with his colleagues. I loved seeing him navigating in this element, and I felt so proud to have a new friend at the fair. We were brought together in the ether by a mutual admiration for Edward Gorey, and sunk into a wonderful friendship through meeting at the Book Fair. Â
A dear friend and peer of my mom for many years is Julien Paganetti of Autographes des Siecles. Since visiting his booth at the fair with my mom over the years, and seeing him on visits to France where he is based, he has become a dear friend to me, too. Julien is the Founder and Director of Autographes des Siecles, and an expert in autograph letters and manuscripts, with such a brilliant eye for other rare finds, like photographs and drawings. He and my mom are connected by their shared interests and knowledge, passionate about the same writers and figures from history. They will talk for hours, electrified like children sharing a newfound discovery. Last year Julien’s son was working with him also. It was so special to watch a father and son sharing the magic of the book fair together in this unique way, and to see Julien sharing his knowledge and skills with the next generation.Â
The first time my mom ever brought me to the fair, the first booth we visited was James Cummins Bookseller, and we were greeted with spirited warmth by their seller since 2000, Henry Wessells. He is passionate about his work and so fun to talk with, always eager to share the joy of their newest find. In 2022 their booth had on display something very special from their collection - a newly discovered Charlotte Bronte manuscript, miniature handwritten pages called ‘Book of Rhymes.’ This beautiful piece of creativity and history was the star of the fair that year. You could feel the buzzing of excitement around this little object, and you could see the wonder in everyone’s eyes as they got close to it. Such magical joy brought on by this tiny little book. You can read this PDF here about the manuscript and see pictures of its details. Their booth is always situated near the front entrance of the fair, just over to the right, so they are always our first stop upon arrival, and each year, Henry greets us with the same warmth that I experienced the first time from him.Â
Words from my Mom:
I know them both (Julien and Henry) through a common love of books. I went to Cummings looking for William Blake books when I was deeply studying Blake. They had a wonderful selection. Unique and affordable. They also found me one of the 500 original copies of ‘Season in Hell’ that Rimbaud published himself and let me pay for it on the installment plan when I had little money.
Julian I met when I was searching for a photograph of Gerard de Nerval. We both love French symbolist poetry, Modigliani, Oscar Wilde, books, and images of poets. We quickly bonded over this mutual love.
I asked a friend the other day if he had ever been to the book fair and he said he was too intimidated to attend. I asked another friend and they said they never went because they assumed the items for sale were out of their price range. The thing about the book fair is that it’s for everyone and anyone. It makes perfect sense to be intimidated, and the antiquarian world can really seem like something too niche and closed off, reserved for experts, scholars, and wealthy collectors, but the truth is, there’s 100% an entry point for anyone who is even a little bit interested and curious. And the people at the book fair are open and friendly - the staff are lovely and helpful, and the sellers are eager and excited to share their collections and discoveries, to hear new stories and share their finds. They are welcoming and kind to everyone who shows up, from seasoned collectors and veteran attendees, to those passing through the neighborhood or entering into the world of antiquarian books for the very first time. Whether you go there to purchase something new for your collection, to learn and research, to view and discover as though it were a museum, or simply to experience the energy and atmosphere, it’s going to be worth the trip. And whether you talk with experts and fellow admirers, or prefer to stay to yourself and get lost for hours in personal discovery - I’ve done both and both are wonderful. No matter the intention and goal, the NY Antiquarian Book Fair is a place of magic and surprise, and there is welcome purpose for every person who walks through the doors.Â
So those are some of my thoughts on the book fair. <3 I also shared a little about my relationship to books themselves in a previous post on National Handwriting Day. I’ve loved books my whole life, every aspect and experience of their creation and existence. Reading them, printing and binding them, buying and selling them, and someday soon to write them. Why are books so important? Why is the book fair such an important event for New York City? Everyone has a different answer, a different relationship to books and to the fair. For me, I would never want to live in a world without books. It’s as simple as that. <3
If you would like to attend the book fair this year, please use my discount code! Simply go to the fair website to buy tickets, and where it says Coupon Code upon checkout, type in JPSBOOK24 to receive $5 off. :) In case you have Instagram, we are also doing a contest giveaway where 2 guests will receive complimentary tickets. You just have to tag someone you would love to go to the fair with! Please stay tuned for more updates on scheduling and activities. I am so honored to be an Ambassador and Co-host this year, and to share in the celebration of all things antiquarian. Please share in the comments your own experiences and memories of the book fair, something special and exciting you found. Or if you’ve attended other book fairs around the country or the world, or any stories about books that you would love to share. I would love to read them!! So excited for April and the magic the book fair will bring this year. Thank you so very much for reading and looking forward to seeing you there!!   Â
Links and Resources
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America ABAA
The NYIABF is a cultural pillar of New York and returns as a much-anticipated highlight of the Spring season. Universally referred to as the world’s finest antiquarian book fair, NYIABF is excited to reveal nearly 200 exhibitors this year from around the world, continuing to live up to its reputation as a highly international fair. The fair has attracted a diverse audience of literary luminaries, influencers, celebrities, art, design and book enthusiasts and collectors both seasoned and entry level. In recent years, NYIABF has increasingly captured the attention of young collectors seeking one-of-a-kind offerings at more accessible price points.
Fair highlights encompass art, science, medicine, literature, history, gastronomy, fashion, first editions, Americana, philosophy, children’s books and much more. From the historic and academic, the religious and spiritual - to the bedrock of secular culture, finance, politics - the fair boasts offerings in every conceiv- able genre and subject.
This year, the fair welcomes exhibitors from 15 different countries including Argentina, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. A robust number of US exhibitors also highlight the incredible wealth of material available stateside. Exhibitors will present a vast treasure trove of items: rare books, maps, illuminated manuscripts, incunabula, fine bindings, illustrations, historical documents, prints, and print ephemera.
This year’s event will present a robust schedule of programming and special events including the return of ABAA Connect, for the first time in partnership with the British Library, as well as Discovery Day, a program beloved by fairgoers, allowing them to bring pieces from their own collections and libraries for appraisal by dealers.
Such exciting news! I'm so proud of you. Our books are proud of you too!
Thank you so much for sharing this information about the book fair. It's helpful to know more about the books and displays that are exhibited. It's been a mystery to me so I very much appreciate your giving me clarity. I have always loved books and have been an avid reader my entire life. I read books that I hold in my hands: I don't listen to them online nor do I read from an electrical devise. I'm not saying this for any reason other than it's important to me to have the physical book in order to attain not only an understanding of the story line, but because it makes me feel closer to the writer. Maybe it's because as a young child my mother always took me to the library to chose what I wanted to read, and she also read Alcott's books to my sister and me when we were in bed getting to say goodnight. It's a precious memory. So kudos to you Jesse for this well'deserved honor! Enjoy every moment!