York Antiquarian Book Seminar 2023 Applications Open

York Antiquarian Book Seminar

Applications for the ninth York Antiquarian Book Seminar (YABS) 2023 are now open, offering the chance to learn about the rare book trade from some of the best booksellers and librarians in the country.  

YABS is the sister seminar of the groundbreaking Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar (now in it's 46th year, the 2023 iteration of CABS-Minnesota runs July 9-14) and was developed and launched in 2014. The event is organised by The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association’s, the YABS Committee with Anthony Smithson and Alice Laverty of Keel Row Books. The course has been fully booked (with a waiting list) annually since it began.

As in previous years, leading booksellers and librarians will share their expertise and experience with would-be and fledgling booksellers, librarians and collectors in a comprehensive survey of the secondhand, antiquarian and rare book markets. Highlights include:

* Bookselling Fundamentals: Business Basics, with Deborah Coltham of Deborah Coltham Rare Books and Sophie Schneideman of Sophie Schneideman Rare Books

* Putting it in the Post: postage, packaging, presentation and export licenses, with Alice Laverty & Faculty

* A tour of Thin Ice Press, the working print press in the Department of English and Related Literature at the University of York, hosted by Head of Department, Helen Smith

* Selling to Institutional Libraries, with Lucy Evans, Curator, Printed Heritage Collections at the British Library

* Book Fairs and Running an open shop, with Anthony Smithson, Keel Row Books

* Avoiding Fakes, Forgeries & Theft, with Adam Douglas, Peter Harrington Rare Books

The seminar is designed for people of all levels of expertise, from beginners to those with years of experience who want to hone their skills in this rapidly changing field.

YABS 2023 runs November 20 - November 23 at Priory Street Centre in York. The fees for 2023 are £575 which includes all lectures and demonstrations, instructional materials, a bookshop and printed press tour, daily lunches and refreshments and a Thursday farewell dinner. Click here for details of the numerous scholarships available.