Washington Antiquarian Book Fair Offers Opportunity to Own History
Washington, D.C. - Visitors have the rare chance to flip through and purchase a piece of history at the 43rd annual Washington Antiquarian Book Fair: September 28-29, 2018 at Holiday Inn Rosslyn.
WABF is the D.C. region’s only curated festival of rare and collectible books, manuscripts, autographs, maps, drawings and other fine ephemera.
Among this year’s highlights:
- 1st edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897): bound in publisher’s original cloth
- Limited edition copy of Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book: signed by the author
- 1st edition of Thunderball (1961): Ian Fleming’s first novel featuring notorious James Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld
- 1st printing of Thomas Pynchon’s 1973 novel, Gravity’s Rainbow
You needn’t be a veteran collector - or a gazillionaire - to enjoy WABF. More than 60 exhibitors will offer items for all budgets and interests.
WABF director Beth Campbell says the personal nature of WABF is something worth celebrating, especially “with the advent of doing business online.” She calls WABF “an active museum, a forum to access diverse knowledge gathered in one place.”
WABF is “about connectedness and discovery,” Campbell 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.”
Special features at the 43rd annual WABF include personalized impromptu haikus from “wordsmith minimalists” Haiku Gals, and the chance to make bookmarks and bind pamphlets with renowned bookbinder and conservator Jill Deiss of Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding.
What: 43rd Annual Washington Antiquarian Book Fair (www.wabf.com)
When: Friday, September 28, 2017: 5pm - 9pm; Saturday, September 29, 2017: 10am - 5pm
Where: Holiday Inn Rosslyn: 1900 Fort Myer Dr., Arlington, VA, 22209
Tickets: Fri. + Sat.: $15. Sat. only: $10 ($5 for students & librarians w/valid ID). Children 12 & under free. Purchase tickets at wabf.com or at the door.
Find Us: Twitter: @theWABF (#WABF18) / Facebook: facebook.com/thewabf
Contact: Beth Campbell: bcampbell@wabf.com / (202) 3634999
