Meet Our New Members: Theo Robinson

Theo Robinson works at Peter Harrington.
Specialisms: Literature, works by women

Welcome to the ABA! Can you tell us a bit about how you first found your way into the trade?

Thank you! I joined Peter Harrington ten years ago, a couple of years after finishing university, and I’ve been here ever since. A lot has happened in that time, from opening our Mayfair shop to taking joint ownership of William Reese Co., so it’s been an exciting time to be part of the firm.

What is your favourite aspect of working in the world of rare books?

It’s hard to pick just one! Being able to work with the depth and breadth of material that comes across my desk is pretty special. I love uncovering the stories behind the items that I’m cataloguing, and sharing that with my colleagues and our customers is really fulfilling. I also wear a lot of different hats at Peter Harrington - whether that’s editing our latest catalogue, training new cataloguers, or researching books to acquire - so I enjoy the way that no two days are the same.

If you had to choose just one, what would you say your key specialism is, and what drew you to it?

As far as a specialism goes, I mainly work with literature, with a particular interest in works by women. A few years ago I created Peter Harrington’s first catalogue of works by women, In Her Own Words, with my colleague Emma Walshe, and we followed that up last year with our second catalogue, Louder Than Words, both of which were well received.

Do you have a favourite item you have worked on recently?

This one is a bit self-indulgent, as one of my hobbies is coxing! I really enjoyed researching a pair of photograph albums from the late 1800s that belonged to a student at Oxford who rowed in the Boat Race. The images were beautiful and unusually high quality. It was an incredible snapshot both of Boat Race history and of hedonistic student life at the end of the nineteenth century.

What are you most excited and most concerned about in the current landscape of the rare book trade?

I’m really excited about the influx of younger members into the trade. They’re so keen and full of new ideas, which is really invigorating. I remember attending YABS in its inaugural year and it’s been fantastic to watch it go from strength to strength: I think that bodes well for the trade. I think it’s key to make sure that enthusiasm is nurtured and that the trade continues to evolve and hopefully become more diverse.

Do you have a favourite book fair?

It has to be New York! The buzz and the crowd make it an incredible experience. I also used to love the Brooklyn book fair - it was a fun “season opener”! - though sadly it didn’t survive the pandemic.