If you've ever wanted to get lost among a mountain of old books, the York National Book Fair is the place to do it. It's Britain's largest rare and antiquarian book fair, and it's back for two days at The Knavesmire Suite at York Racecourse, on Friday 11 September from midday to 7pm and Saturday 12 September from 10am to 5pm. There are more than 100,000 books, maps, prints and pieces of ephemera up for grabs, with prices running from a few pounds to tens of thousands, so there's something whether you're after a cheap bargain or a serious investment.
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More than 200 of the country's leading booksellers set up stall, and there are two new names joining the line-up this year: London photography specialist Roland Belgrave and M J Books from California, who deal in naturalist and environmental items. A few of the headline pieces worth hunting down include a first edition of George Orwell's 1984 with its red dust wrapper, from Grimes Hill Books, and a limited-edition prospectus for a modern version produced in 2024 by James Freemantle. There's local York flavour in the mix too, with Ken Spelman showing a Sex Pistols last-ever concert ticket and Rooke Books bringing T.E. Lawrence translations.
Getting in is easy and cheap. Entry is £2 on the door, but you can download a free ticket in advance from yorkbookfair.com, and children under 16 get in free. The venue makes it painless to reach as well: there's unlimited free parking on site, and a free shuttle bus runs from Memorial Gardens on Railway Street every half hour. If you're coming by train, the last buses back to the station leave at 7.15pm on the Friday and 5.15pm on the Saturday, so factor that into your planning.
The fair is run by the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association, the PBFA, which has been staging book fairs since 1974 and is now the largest bookselling association in Europe. There's a nice local connection there as well: Ken Spelman Books, one of York's oldest rare book shops, established back in 1948, is now managed by Tony Fothergill, who also serves as the Fair Manager for the PBFA York National Book Fair. Among the other exhibitors you'll find names like Bernard Quaritch, Maggs Bros, Henry Sotheran, Blackwell Rare Books, Alex Alec-Smith Books, Peter Harrington, Paul Foster Books, Sarah Key Books and R F Shipping Ltd, along with guest exhibitors like Victoria Hall Hand Decorated Papers, Creative Computing, Andy Moore Calligraphy, the Private Libraries Association, The Institute of English Studies and the Universal Short Title Catalogue.
Whether you're a seasoned collector or just someone who likes the smell of old paper, it's a great way to spend a day or two. With over 100,000 items to sift through, you could easily lose a whole afternoon without noticing. Grab your free ticket early and give yourself plenty of time to browse.
Published Date
5 September 2026
