Breathe in that delicious old paper smell and wade through boundless stacks of antique and rare literature: books dealers from around the country are touching down in our highly literate city for the Pacific Northwest’s biggest book event, Seattle Antiquarian Book Festival. Beyond collectible books, you can expect a wide selection of prints, autographs, manuscripts, broadsides, and fine bindings. Bibliophiles on any budget will find something to love.
Some of last year’s notable items:
📚 Original drawings by New Yorker illustrator Garth Williams
📚 A first edition of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity with a signed formula “E = MC2”
📚 A handsome brown-and-gold bound copy of Webster’s 1677 work Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft
📚 A beautifully illustrated copy of Antarctic explorer Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s The Worst Journey in the World
Seattle bookstores will be in the lineup of indies and specialist stores: Collins Books, Fairlook Antiques, and Arundel Books, among others. Visit the Book Arts Guild to learn about bookish crafting workshops, or Book Club of Washington to connect to other literary folks across the state.
Tickets are $10 at the door, cash only. Bring a mask. They’re required for this event.
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