Books & Periodicals

Material in this specialist market ranges from the early printed works of the Gutenberg Press and William Caxton right through to Modern First Editions and now up to signed copies of Harry Potter. Condition and rarity are the keys to this sector.


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Hemingway’s fishing flag of triumph reels in $170,000

10 April 2026

The legend of author Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) is forever linked with sport fishing.

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The trick is to keep it original when it comes to magical content

10 April 2026

Magic books library reflects obsession of collector who prized exceptionally clean examples

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Ehret record price grows as magnolia blossoms in the US

10 April 2026

An original Georg Dionysius Ehret illustration of a magnolia blossom hammered for $330,000 (£242,000) at Arader Galleries (20% buyer’s premium) on February 7 in New York.

Photography album

The Bodleian Libraries buys unseen works by photographic greats Lee Miller and Sir Cecil Beaton

09 April 2026

A ‘scrapbook’ of photographs put together by Roland Haupt, a darkroom assistant in the London office of Vogue magazine, has been sold to The Bodleian Libraries by dealer Michael Hoppen Gallery.

C.I.V by Erskine Childers

Rare book fair returns to Dublin after three years

08 April 2026

A new book fair is being planned for the summer in Ireland.

Books and works on paper auction calendar, April 8-27, 2026

02 April 2026

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

Beatric Potter letters

Beatrix Potter letters reveal her love for antiques

02 April 2026

Eighteen letters written by Beatrix Potter to an antiques dealer between 1933-43 come for sale in Nottingham this month.

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A lucky house clearance find to get your teeth into

02 April 2026

Books from a routine call proved disappointing until a first edition Dracula loomed into view

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Swedish Vega Expedition targeted Northeast Passage

02 April 2026

Compared with Scandinavian exploration by illustrious figures such as Nansen and Amundsen, the Vega Expedition is little known outside the region.

Martin Luther King’s Stride Toward Freedom

Inscribed book by Martin Luther King Jnr discovered at Oxfam sells at Bonhams’ auction

30 March 2026

An author-inscribed book by Martin Luther King Jnr donated to a small Oxfordshire Oxfam store has raised £2560 including premium at Bonhams

Books and works on paper auction calendar, April 1-21, 2026

27 March 2026

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

Mary Anning letter

Dorset museum’s fundraising secures letter from pioneering fossil hunter Mary Anning at Bonhams auction

27 March 2026

The Lyme Regis Philpot Museum’s fundraising campaign raised enough to buy a letter fragment from Mary Anning (1799-1847) offered at a Bonhams auction.

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Tests of faith and legal learning in East Sussex

27 March 2026

English religious manuscript and Italian academic diplomas catch the eye

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No jacket, no big problem for a first edition Hobbit

27 March 2026

A first edition, first impression of The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien is a valuable proposition even without its dustjacket.

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Nancy Mitford's Pursuit of Love made an immediate impression

27 March 2026

First editions of the books that made Nancy Mitford’s name – The Pursuit of Love (1945) and Love in a Cold Climate (1949) – sold for £1600 at Reeman Dansie (25% buyer’s premium) in Colchester.

World championship match 1972

The Arbiter’s Archive: Sotheby’s to auction extraordinary chess collection

25 March 2026

In the world of chess, few names command as much quiet authority as Lothar Schmid.

Leadhills Mine documents

Historical archive of Scottish Enlightenment mathematician and innovator blocked from export

23 March 2026

An extensive 18th century archive relating to James Stirling (1692-1770) has been blocked from export in the hope a UK institution can raise the funds to keep it in the UK.

Illustration by Arthur Rackham

Rackham art originals deliver deluxe qualities at Stockport auction

20 March 2026

The sale of Antiquarian & Collectable Books at Capes Dunn in Stockport on March 17 included a group of deluxe editions of popular classics illustrated by Arthur Rackham (1867-1939).

Mary Anning letter

Dorset museum launches fundraising campaign for letter from pioneering fossil hunter Mary Anning

20 March 2026

The Lyme Regis Philpot Museum has launched a fundraising campaign in the hope it can secure a letter fragment written by the English fossil collector and palaeontologist Mary Anning (1799-1847). It is being offered at a Bonhams auction this month.

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Sketchbooks of worldwide interest created by Alexander the great traveller

20 March 2026

Papers outline the journeys extraordinary for even a Victorian military man and explorer

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