Washington Antiquarian Book Fair Offers One-of-a-Kind Books
Washington, D.C. - March 28, 2017 - In an era torn by partisan division and “fake news,” the Washington Antiquarian Book Fair is offering a welcome antidote: its 42nd annual celebration of books, knowledge and learning, April 28-29, 2017, in the heart of our nation’s capital.
WABF is the D.C. region’s only curated festival of rare and collectible books, manuscripts, autographs, maps, drawings and other fine ephemera (think personal letters from First Lady Jackie Kennedy and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). Among this year’s literary highlights: Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, signed by Lee and members of the motion picture cast (including Gregory Peck), and the title and dedication pages of Allen Ginsberg’s HOWL, 1st edition, signed by such famed Beat poets as Ginsberg, Gary Snyder and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
You don’t have to be a veteran collector - or millionaire - to enjoy WABF. At the historic Sphinx Club, more than 60 exhibitors will offer thousands of items for all budgets and interests: art, science, travel, sports, music, children’s books and more. WABF director Beth Campbell calls it “an active museum, a forum to access diverse knowledge gathered in one place.” WABF is “about connectedness and discovery,” she says. “The exhibitors are connected to their collections, each other and the fairgoers. The fairgoers are connected to a particular genre, author or time. We all discover more when we connect and converse with one another.”
Plus, says Brian Cassidy - one of many WABF exhibitors without a brick-and-mortar shop - “there are fewer and fewer bookstores and fewer and fewer opportunities to handle books in-person.” That’s why WABF is an invaluable “shared experience,” says Campbell, “a unique opportunity for folks to touch, discover and collect tactile objects that mean something to them.”
Special features this year: a night of fast-paced literary games on 4/28, care of Labyrinth Games and Puzzles (“Best Board Game Store,” Washington City Paper). On 4/29, Austin-based troupe Typewriter Rodeo will offer custom poems typed at lightning-speed on vintage typewriters.
WABF is sponsored by BookStore Movers (“Best Movers”, Washington City Paper).
What: 42nd Annual Washington Antiquarian Book Fair (www.wabf.com)
When: Friday, April 28, 2017: 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 29, 2017: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Where: The Sphinx Club: 1315 K Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20005
Tickets: Fri. and Sat.: $15. Sat. only: $10 ($5 for students and librarians with valid ID). Children 12 and under free. Purchase tickets at wabf.com or at the door.
Social Media: Twitter: @theWABF (#WABF17) / Facebook: facebook.com/thewabf
Contact: Beth Campbell: bcampbell@wabf.com / (202) 363-4999
