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Firsts Online 2020

Dickens at his Desk

The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association will launch the organisation’s first digital fair, “Firsts London Online,” on Friday, 5 June, coinciding with the fair’s original opening date.


The digital fair – chaired by Grolier Club member Pom Harrington – will replace the cancelled annual rare book fair which was due to take place in London from 5th-7th June 2020. Hosted on the event’s dedicated website www.firstslondon.com, the online fair will be launched to the public at 2:00 p.m. GMT (9:00 a.m. EDT and 6:00 a.m. PDT) and will feature items from an international roster of more than 100 dealers from 15 countries.

Each exhibitor has been invited to showcase up to 12 highlights from what would have been their exhibited stock at the annual fair in London. This smaller showcase of items has encouraged the dealers to upload many of their most interesting and significant pieces, creating a remarkable and diverse selection from around the world. The June 5th launch will include “Exhibitors Highlights,” featuring contact details for each exhibitor, so they can be reached directly by viewers; and items will be searchable by category, dealer and keyword, with each item including a brief description, condition and price.