York Antiquarian Book Seminar 2022

The 2022 edition of the York Antiquarian Book Seminar was the largest to date, with 38 students in attendance. Topics covered ranged from how to identify fakes and forgeries to how to correctly package rare books. Now in its 9th year, YABS has grown in popularity since its launch in 2014, gaining new voices to share their experiences with fledgeling booksellers. We look forward to the discussions and perspectives the 2023 Seminar will bring.

A report by Euphemia Franklin of Maggs Bros., a 2022 YABS student:

“Buy books, sell books; buy books, sell books” and “Bookselling: it’s a hustle” are two particularly memorable soundbites from the 2022 York Antiquarian Book Seminar (YABS). Led by the formidable faculty – Simon Beattie, Deborah Coltham, Adam Douglas, Stephen Foster, Jonathan Kearns, Sophie Schneideman and Anthony Smithson – and beautifully organised by the ABA’s Riley Grant, YABS offered a rigorous three-and-a-half days of bookselling training and discussion. Each day started promptly at 8:30am and conversation continued well into the evenings, in some of York’s 450+ pubs... The itinerary included a visit to a letterpress workshop, a local bookshop crawl and a series of fascinating talks from each of the faculty members and external speakers, who generously shared their experience, knowledge and advice (see opening quotes).

Last year’s was the biggest cohort yet, and I was delighted to be one of nearly forty participants from a variety of book-related backgrounds, including sole traders, librarians, academics, and others currently working for established firms. Many of us keep in touch and carry on the discussions ignited at YABS on topics such as handling sensitive material, the increasing role of social media and issues of social representation in the trade. I would recommend YABS to anyone looking to enter the world of rare books or expand their knowledge of it, and I am excited to see how the seminar grows.

Find out more about the 2023 edition of YABS here.