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.


Books and works on paper auction calendar, March 25 to April 15, 2026

20 March 2026

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

TEFAF 2026

Museums and collectors help boost first day sales at TEFAF Maastricht

13 March 2026

A bustling and busy first preview day at TEFAF Maastricht heralded the start of significant sales at the annual fair.

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Former dealer’s remarkable Oscar Wilde collection takes four times the estimated total

13 March 2026

The Oscar Wilde Collection formed over 60 years by bibliophile and former dealer in Oriental antiques Jeremy Mason prompted collectors to come out in force and was 100% sold at Bonhams (28/27% buyer’s premium) in Knightsbridge.

Books and works on paper auction calendar, March 17 to April 8, 2026

13 March 2026

Our regular listing of books and works on paper sales

Detmold illustrations for The Jungle Book

Rediscovered Jungle Book watercolours make £100,000 at Roseberys

11 March 2026

Two ‘lost’ illustrations from a celebrated edition of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book sold for a combined £100,000 at south London saleroom Roseberys on March 10.

Flower by James Bateman

Forum Auctions to sell last stock from Dutch dealership

06 March 2026

With the recent retirement of Allard Schierenberg and Jeanne van Bruggen, the remaining stock of Dutch dealership Antiquariaat Junk will be sold at auction.

John Russell Taylor sale online

John Russell Taylor books sale starts online

06 March 2026

The Private Library Book Company is offering for sale online the library of John Russell Taylor (1935-2025), a collection of over 20,000 books, many by the renowned author and critic himself.

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On a single passage to India: a successful debut sale dedicated to the subcontinent

06 March 2026

Inaugural Forum standalone auction achieves impressive results in south London

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Best wishes to housekeeper Phyllis from Agatha Christie

06 March 2026

A first edition of Agatha Christie’s Five Little Pigs published by The Crime Club (Collins), London 1942, was consigned to Wessex Auction Rooms (24% buyer’s premium) by the family of Phyllis Rice, housekeeper to the author at Greenway House.

Books and works on paper auctions, March 11 to April 1, 2026

06 March 2026

Our regular listing of books and works on paper sales

Lady Jane Grey letter

Letters at auction recall reign of tragic ‘Nine Day Queen’ Lady Jane Grey

27 February 2026

An extremely rare survival from the nine-day reign of Lady Jane Grey, one of the more dramatic episodes in English history, came to market on February 25.

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Collector Interview: Meet the ‘Byron nut’ who lives in the poet’s old house

27 February 2026

Geoffrey Bond, who runs The Geoffrey Bond Consultancy, has had an extensive career spanning law, business, heritage, TV, radio and latterly publishing.

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A 1690 work that brings Nelson, Naples, Hamiltons and a scandalous affair to mind

27 February 2026

The 1690 Utrecht edition of Suetonius Caius Tranquillus’ Opera, “with Samuel Pitiscus’s seminal commentary, was a landmark in classical scholarship and perfectly reflects Sir William Hamilton’s deep antiquarian interests, particularly in Roman history”.

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Get a Viz No 1 and a free ice cream too

27 February 2026

All of the first half-a-dozen issues of Viz comic are rarities – each penned by teenager Chris Donald from his bedroom in his parents’ Jesmond, Newcastle, home with help from his brother Simon and friend Jim Brownlow.

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'Perhaps the most significant private collection of British comics ever assembled'

27 February 2026

What is being promoted as “perhaps the most significant private collection of British comics ever assembled” is coming to market with two separate auction houses involved.

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Bidding battle for battered teaching book shows rising demand for social artefacts

27 February 2026

Pristine first editions from sought-after authors or documents written by the luminaries of times past are usually the ones that command the greatest attention at book auctions.

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Winnie the Pooh hits 100 mark

27 February 2026

Forget Paddington Bear. Think Winnie-the-Pooh “I am a bear of very little brain…”, whose 100th anniversary this year celebrates the first outing of the gentle bear and his beloved friends including the “small and anxious” Piglet.

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Where the 2000AD action starts – the story of the short lived but inspirational predecessor comic

27 February 2026

Fifty years ago a now little-known comic launched that spawned a much more successful title still going strong

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This could be a ‘transformational era in comic collecting’ says US auction house

27 February 2026

Records continue to tumble in the vibrant US market. Hardly a week goes by without another new marker being established as comics thrive in a remarkably buoyant collectables collecting scene, or sought-after high-grade copies attract rocketing prices.

PBFA Harrogate fair

Book fair returns to Harrogate hotel for spring event

27 February 2026

The PBFA (Provincial Booksellers and Fairs Association) next event is in Harrogate where the fair returns to The Old Swan Hotel.

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