Our Bright Young Collectors series continues today with Emily Porter, winner of the 2020 National Book Collecting Prize for Young Australian Collectors.
Where are you from / where do you live?
I was born in Brisbane, and live in beautiful Mount Mee, approximately 90 minutes’ drive north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
What did you study at University? What do you do now for an occupation?
Unusually for many in the bookish sphere, I didn’t attend university. I have completed a couple of small business courses with accreditation which has helped with running my own business as a leatherworker.
Please introduce us to your collection. What areas do you collect in, and how large is it?
My book collection largely focuses on The Horse, with a particular interest in older texts concerning horse management, art, saddlery, children’s fiction, and biographies. The current shelf count is 906, and there are quite a few more awaiting to be read and decided upon, as well as a small amount of ephemera. This count is just the horse books - I have another bookcase for non-horse books, including my much-loved Terry Pratchett collection, and Charles Dickens’ Christmas books.
What was the first book you bought for your collection?
I don’t remember this, sadly! I’ve always had horse books in my life, I would ask for them for birthdays and at Christmas. The two books that have been with me the longest (since 1987, when I was three years old) are Gretchen and the Lost Carousel by Joan Phillips, and A Horse Named Doodlebug by Irene Brady, both received as presents. It’s quite possible that the beautiful illustrations in them have influenced my love and appreciation of equestrian art and decor.
How about the most recent book?
I bought Stitch by Stitch: A Guide to Equine Saddles by Diana Tuke which arrived in the mail from England last week. I’ve already learnt several fascinating (to me) facts about the saddlery trade that you can’t just look up online, or find someone to ask!
