Books & Periodicals

Shown here is what would be an arachnophobe’s nightmare: one of the 29 hand-coloured engraved plates that illustrate a copy of John Blackwell’s 'History of Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland'.

The dust jacket in those familiar red, black and yellow colours favoured by the publisher, Gollancz, had a few shortcomings in terms of condition, including some chips and losses, but this ‘Just out!’ 1935 first of 'Gaudy Night', signed by its author, Dorothy L Sayers, was bid to £2100 on March 3.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

First published in 1755, Samuel Johnson’s 'A Dictionary of the English Language' had taken eight years to compile with six helpers.

Complete with the often missing dust jacket and entirely unrestored, as the cataloguer’s notes were pleased to point out, a 1925 Hogarth Press first of Virginia Woolf’s famous novel Mrs Dalloway was offered as part of a March 2 sale at Swann Galleries (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) of New York.

Shrewsbury sale offered rare opportunity to bid for a letters by the great writer and lexicographer

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

A sale held by Martel Maides (20% buyer’s premium) of Guernsey to disperse the contents two island homes included some 60 or more single and multiple lots of books, a number of which boasted special bindings.

Tom Lintern-Mole, co-organiser with John Martin of PBFA’s book fair at Oxford Brookes University on Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23, said he is looking forward to 75 dealers standing.

A handful of lots featuring communications between an actress, Miss Alice Bowes (1889-1969), and George Bernard Shaw featured in a Mullock’s (20% buyer’s premium) sale.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

Middle-Earth history works edited by Christopher and two copies of The Hobbit with interesting links

Sold at the high-estimate £3500 at a Kent auction was a German facsimile edition of the Lindisfarne Gospels.

A pair of football programmes proved the pull of early Manchester United memorabilia remains strong among collectors

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

The work of illustrator Robert Gillmor graces many books from a well-known natural history series

An unrecorded and apparent first Scottish edition example of the 18th century children’s book Tom Thumb’s Play-book is set to feature at the Edinburgh Book Fair.