Richard Wells Antiquarian Books - Rare and Antiquarian Books and Manuscripts

I will be attending the Edinburgh Book Fair on Friday 24th March and Saturday 25th March. If you would like a copy of my fair list emailed to you please do ask. 

It is only a few days to the Olympia Book Fair where I shall be exhibiting again this year. I'll be pleased to welcome you on stand E03  

Catalogue VII, my fair list for the Edinburgh Book Fair is just finished. If you would like a copy please email me. 

I shall be exhibiting at the Edinburgh Book Fair. If you are in the area please do come along.

Catalogue V is just out and I will be uploading it to the website shortly. If you would like either a hard copy or a pdf by email please do contact me.

Olympia is just a day or two away. Am looking forward to meeting customers and colleagues there. Go to www.olympiabookfair.com for information.

I shall be attending the following book fairs in 2015.

ABA/PBFA Edinburgh Premier Fair                          Friday 6th March/Saturday 7th March

PBFA Harrogate Premier Fair                                Friday 13th March/Saturday 14th March

PBFA Oxford Premier Fair                                    Saturday 25th April/Sunday 26th April

London International Antiquarian Book Fair           Thursday 28th May/Saturday 30th May

PBFA Totnes Book Fair                                        Sunday 21st June

Ways with Words Literary Festival, Dartington        Friday 3rd July/Sunday 12th July

ABA/PBFA Bristol Premier Fair                              Friday 10th July/Saturday 11th July

PBFA Exeter Book Fair                                        Sunday 2nd August

PBFA York National Premier Fair                          Friday 18th September/Saturday 19th September

PBFA Sherborne Book Fair                                  Saturday 3rd October

PBFA Exeter Book Fair                                       Sunday 13th December

If you would like me to bring any particular item to a fair then please do get in touch.

I have uploaded a group of school and college registers. These are mostly ex reference library copies, condition not great, and are priced accordingly though some are somewhat uncommon.

Saturday 5th April 2014 - Tavistock Book Fair

Saturday 17th May 2014 - Sherborne Book Fair

I shall be attending the following book fairs in 2014.

Saturday 18th January - SHERBORNE BOOK FAIR

Friday 7th March / Saturday 8th March - EDINBURGH BOOK FAIR ( Joint ABA / PBFA Fair )

Friday 14th March / Saturday 15th March - HARROGATE BOOK FA IR ( PBFA )

Saturday 26th April / Sunday 27th April - OXFORD BOOK FAIR ( P BFA )

Sunday 15th June - TOTNES BOOK FAIR ( PBFA )

Friday 4th July / Sunday 13th July - WAYS WITH WORDS, DARTIN GTON HALL, DEVON

Sunday 13th July - EXETER BOOK FAIR ( PBFA )

Sunday 17th August - WILTON BOOK FAIR ( PBFA )

Sunday 7th September - DARTMOOR BOOK FAIR, TAVISTOCK ( P BFA )

Friday 19th September / Saturday 20th September - YORK NATI ONAL BOOK FAIR ( PBFA )

Saturday 4th October - SHERBORNE BOOK FAIR ( PBFA )

Saturday 29th November - CALLINGTON BOO K FAIR

Sunday 7th December - EXETER BOOK FAIR ( PBFA )

It is likely that I will attend further fairs as the year goes on so please keep an eye on the 'News' section of my websi

My new catalogue is due very shortly. It is a selection of recent acquisitions I shall be taking to the Edinburgh Book Fair.

If you would like a copy please contact me. I will also be uploading it to the website shortly.

Just a few days to go. If you want me to bring any particular item with me please telephone or email by Tuesday 4th March.

The Incline Press of Oldham have, for eighteen or more years, published a new year book to welcome in the new year.

I have a number of copies of their 2012 book, 'The Anagnostakis Pocket Guide to Austrian German and Swiss Antiquarian Bookdealers Terminology. A lovely little book and useful too. They are available at £5.00 each plus p & p. Please email me if you would like one.

I have been asked to give some information about the Christmas book I have featured on my front page. The book itself soon found a home so the copy is not now listed on the website. 'Light Unlocked', edited by Kevin Crossley-Holland and Lawrence Sail and with engraved illustrations by John Lawrence, is an anthology of some eighty poems sent by their authors, many of them well known contemporary writers, as Christmas cards. Published by the Enitharmon Press in 2005 it includes poems by Wendy Cope, Seamus Heaney, Gillian Clarke and many others. Delightful ! 

The Christmas Exeter Book Fair last weekend was a great success with lots of visitors as seen in Paul Davies's Photos. 

I shall be attending two further book fairs this year. Poole on Sunday 20th October (PBFA) and Callington on Saturday 30th November. Look forward to meeting every one again. 

Catalogue 3 is now available. If you would like a copy please do not hesitate to email or telephone to request a copy.

Due to the catalogue page on the website being down I have not been able to upload the full catalogue. I hope this will be resolved quickly. 

Exeter Book Fair now has its own website. For details see my links page. The fair, held in August and December, is in Topsham and the new site gives details of the participating dealers together with details of highlighted items for sale. 

April has brought great excitement for me hearing the news that I have been elected an Associate member of the ABA.

The Dartmoor Book Fair, organised by the PBFA  now has a new website. Go to http://www.dartmoorbookfair.com for the latest news. The next fair is on Sunday 7th April 2013.

A must read ! David has been a bookseller for over 45 years and has recorded his experiences across the world, hunting out and visiting bookshops, in a series of letters to Howard Hodgkin. He describes a glorious and bizarre world of strange shops and their eccentric occupants. A world in which Batterham moves through and at the same time is very much part of. Read it, you will not be disappointed.

I regret I shall be unable to attend the Edinburgh Book Fair on the 8th / 9th March. A great disappointment but best wishes to all there. I'm sure it will be a great success. 

I shall be attending the following Book Fairs in 2013.

Friday 8th March / Saturday 9th March - Edinburgh ( Joint ABA / PBFA ).

Sunday 7th April - Dartmoor, Tavistock ( PBFA ).

Sunday 16th June - Totnes ( PBFA ).

Sunday 23rd June - Cheltenham (PBFA ).

Sunday 30th June / Monday 1st July - Leeds (International Medieval Congress ).

Friday 5th July / Sunday 14th July - Dartington ( Ways With Words Literature Festival ).

Sunday 4th August - Exeter, Topsham ( PBFA ).

Sunday 18th August - Wilton ( PBFA ).

Sunday 1st September - Dartmoor, Tavistock ( PBFA ).

Friday 20th September / Saturday 21st September - York National ( PBFA ).

Sunday 22nd September - Budleigh Salterton ( Literature Festival ).

Sunday 24th November - Cirencester ( PBFA ).

Sunday 1st December - Exeter, Topsham ( PBFA ).  

Henry Jackson van Dyke (1852 - 1933) was an American author who wrote several well loved and popular Christmas stories. 'The Story of the Other Wise Man' is one of these. The copy featured here was published in 1930 and is in lovely condition. It reminds us of the magic of Christmas and is of very, very modest value but well worth showing.

A very happy Christmas to all my customers and colleagues,

The date for Callington Book Fair, to be held in the Callington Town Hall, has been confirmed as Saturday 24th November, 2012.

I look forward to meeting everybody there.

Due to unforeseen circumstances I am unable to attend York Book Fair.

Catalogue 3 due to be published about now will be delayed and publication will be later this year.

I am busily preparing Catalogue 3 which will be ready later in the summer and before the York Book Fair.

If you would like a copy mailed to you then please do email me with your request.

A PDF copy will be posted on the site for download. If you want an email reminder when it is ready then please ask.

I am at the small Bookfair in the Ship Studio, again this year, from 6th - 15th July. Ways with Words is a wonderful festival and I shall be pleased to see both old and new customers. Please come in for a chat, if only to escape the rain ! 

The date of this fair has now been confirmed as Saturday 26th May 2012.

With a new site I am working hard on uploading my stock so please check 'Recent Additions' to see the latest uploads.

Sunday 5th February - Killerton (PBFA).

Sunday 1st April - Dartmoor Bookfair, Tavistock (PBFA).

Saturday 5th May - Trelissick Bookfair, Cornwall.

Saturday 26th May - Callington (Date to be confirmed).

Sunday 17th June - Totnes (PBFA).

Sunday 1st July - Sidmouth (PBFA).

6th - 16th July - Ways with Words Literary Festival, Dartington.

Sunday 5th August - Exeter Bookfair, Topsham (PBFA).

Sunday 2nd September - Dartmoor Bookfair, Tavistock (PBFA).

Friday/Saurday 14th/15th September - York National Bookfair (PBFA).

Sunday 23rd September - Budleigh Literary Festival Bookfair.

Saturday 24th November - Callington (Date to be confirmed).

Sunday 16th December - Exeter Bookfair, Topsham (PBFA).

Robert Lenkiewicz was a well known Plymouth based artist, eccentric and book collector. I have a collection of items from his library that are yet to be catalogued. If you are interested then please do contact me.

The Literary Festival is held for three days in September and is now in its fourth year. The whole event is a friendly and worthwhile experience as is the small but now established Bookfair on the final Sunday.

Between Friday 8th July and 9th September an exhibition devoted to the craft of fine bookbinding was held in the Reception Area of Dartington Space.

I did an interview today (25/7/11) with Mary Bartlett at Dartington discussing bookselling and bookbinding. The interviewer was Lincoln Shaw, probably the BBC's longest established reporter. The interview will be broadcast on Radio Devon between 7.00 and 9.00 am on Saturday 30th July 2011.