Keynote Speaker 2023: Amanda Hall
Amanda joined the book trade immediately after Cambridge, working for Chelsea Rare Books and Pickering and Chatto. She established Amanda Hall Rare Books in 1997. Six months spent in Paris kicked off the business, adding a love of Continental books to Amanda’s passion for English Literature and enabling her to assemble a fledgling stock.
Specialising in the long eighteenth century, historical authenticity has always been a guiding principle, whether offering unsophisticated books in papiers dominotés, modest sheep bindings from the school room or elaborate presentation copies in sumptuous goatskin.
Once dubbed ‘Madame Gothique’ for her unrelenting pursuit of the French gothic novel, Amanda specialises in fiction all its forms, from political utopias to frivolous it-novels, along with works by women, ‘channel crossings’ of literary influences in Europe, fables, banned books, poetry, devotional works and children’s books.
Based in rural Wiltshire, Amanda issues regular catalogues and exhibits at book fairs in London, New York and California.
Speciality Dealer 2023: Simon Patterson
We started buying and selling nearly 20 years ago, and set up Hyraxia in 2010. In 2013 my wife Gail and I started to operate the business full time. Our area of focus is speculative fiction, a genre that encompasses science fiction, fantasy and horror, from the modern day to the taproots and prototypes for the genre. We try to strike a balance between recognisable titles in the genre and rarities that don't show up that often. I spend most of my days cataloguing as, somewhere along the line, something went wrong and we ended up with more stock waiting to be catalogued than available for sale. My free time is spent travelling, reading, and making electronic music. Gail and I have two daughters - one of whom is already planning a hostile takeover of the business, a majestic cat and a ridiculous, hairy potato on legs commonly referred to as a pug.
Lucy Evans
Lucy is the Interim Head of Collections at Senate House Library, University of London. As part of her role there she manages the collections, both modern and special. She has recently been working on exhibition on Shakespeare’s First Folio (opening 21stNovember!). Lucy began her career at the Bodleian Library as a graduate trainee and has also worked at the Universities of Reading and Liverpool and Lambeth Palace Library. Until January 2023 she was the curator of 18th and 19th century printed books at the British Library. Lucy is also the Chair of the CILIP Rare Books and Special Collections Group.
Alice Laverty
Alice has managed the Keel Row Books in Tyneside since 2009, after a decade of work in the design and architecture industry, both in the UK and overseas. She is a director of YABS alongside Anthony Smithson and Jonathan Kearns. As a founding member, she developed and launched YABS as a UK equivalent to the long established Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar. She managed YABS from 2014-2021.
Faculty 2023
Simon Beattie
Simon has been in the book trade since 1998. After a dozen years working for Bernard Quaritch and Simon Finch Rare Books, he set up on his own in 2010, specialising in European (cross-) cultural history. His catalogues have won seven design awards on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2011 the ABA described him as ‘a dealer to watch’ and in 2012 he was included among the winners of the Smarta 100 Awards for ‘the most resourceful, original, exciting small businesses in the UK’
Adam Douglas
Adam started bookselling in 1988 with Simon Finch, after reading English Literature at Bristol University. In 2005 he joined Peter Harrington, where he is now a senior specialist. Adam specialises in early printing, literature, and the history of ideas; he is head of cataloguing at Peter Harrington and author of the company style manual. He has also taught an MA course in screenwriting, and is the author of The Beast Within, a cultural study of the werewolf myth. He is currently chair of the ABA Educational Trust.
Stephen Foster
Stephen is a second-generation bookseller, with 40 years' experience. He has one of the few second-hand bookshops left in West London. From his lovely c18th shop in Chiswick, he sells not only to local customers, but around the world. He also works with the film industry, supplying books for film sets and TV dramas.
Jonathan Kearns
Jonathan is a 19th and 20th century literature enthusiast with an obsession bordering on the indecent for anything weird, speculative or unusual. A bookseller for almost 18 years, he started out working on Charing Cross Road. He recently left Adrian Harrington Rare Books to work for himself as Jonathan Kearns Rare Books & Curiosities. He runs the Bibliodeviancy book blog and is a joint director of YABS.
Sophie Schneideman
Sophie has been an antiquarian book dealer for over 30 years. She underwent a long apprenticeship at Maggs Bros and since 2007 has been running her own she now runs her own business in London specialising in the Art of the Book, ie private press and illustrated books, fine bindings, artists’ books, printing, lettering and prints.
Anthony Smithson
Anthony is a director and, up until 2022, the joint organiser of YABS. He opened his first bookshop in 1991 at the age of 19. Learning the book trade from the ground up, he began selling books at fairs and markets in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Anthony joined the PBFA 20 years ago and has jointly run Keel Row Books (near Newcastle Upon Tyne) a thriving, old-fashioned bricks and mortar antiquarian bookshop since 2006. He became an ABA member in 2012 and from 2015 to 2018 served on the Council of the Association, he currently sits on the board of the ABA Educational Trust.
Attending the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar in 2011 inspired him to develop and deliver a similar course in the UK.