Letters

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Silence Witness Dear Editor Your magazine appeared to be compulsory reading – if not purchase – at the New York Fair. How eerie to discover so many silent booksellers. Keep up the good work!

Anon, by email

Skin Deep Dear Editor Human too (in)human? A piece of human skin sells at auction for close to $10,000, as a book bound in the 1850s, covered by a square foot of human flesh, is sold in Paris at the famed Drouot auction house, more than five times its estimation, with apparently very little concern having been expressed over the 4 May sale organised by the PIASA consultancy over the ethical or moral implications of such a sale, with its overtones of wartime Germany – where the notorious Dr Mengele was reported to have bound books with the skin of Jewish prisoners – or indeed of the celebrated 1973 Richard Fleischer science fiction thriller, Soylent Green, where human flesh is openly consumed and at a price. The silence in which the sale took place – the French press seems to have let the event go by without a trace, in spite of its spectacular nature, and this perhaps because France is going through a series of three-day holiday weekends (and the arrival of Spring weather) – is all the more horrible given the fact that although such books are relative rareties, a number of them do exist, notes Christian Galantaris, the bibliophilic expert responsible for the sale as organised by PIASA, who affirms

that the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, one of the five greatest libraries in the world, does possess such skinbound books, including the same book that went on auction 4 May: Hans Holbein’s Danse of the Dead, except that the BNF’s copy is bound in a piece of a sailor’s skin that bears a tattoo, while the piece of skin on the book auctioned was taken off a cadaver in the possession of the University of Paris medical school and is considerably larger, measuring close to a square foot; for an image of the book in question, please go to the following webpage, courtesy of Marc A Michaud: www.necropress.com/prm/skin.

Paul Michaud Paris, France

Pulped Friction Dear Editor My partner and I have been arguing over the merits of a ‘classic’ work being remaindered or pulped. What do your readers feel deserves the greater acclaim? Or ignominy?

E Brazil London

Beginner’s Luck Dear Editor I picked up your magazine by chance in Borders, Glasgow, having been attracted by the striking cover. While I enjoyed the Freud retrospective, I feel the ‘Beginner’s Guide’ article on collecting could actually make me some money! I look forward to further lucrative tips.

Henry Aitchins Edinburgh

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HERITAGE BOOKSHOP Rare Book Reviewwould like to make clear that they are unaware of any agreement between Heritage Bookshop and David Brass as mentioned in our article ‘LA Fair Report’ (April/May 2006 issue, page 8). RBRwould like to apologise for any offence that may have been caused to any party by the aforementioned article. It has always been the experience of RBRthat Ben and Lou Weinstein are booksellers of the highest integrity.

ALife inBooks ...IN 3 MINUTES

John King Online Bookseller, Canada

How did you get started? I had always been a collector since a child, had

been encouraged to read by my parents and loved to read aloud to others whilst they worked. So, when I took early retirement nine years ago, I started selling online with the encouragement of two great booksellers in England, Anthony Rota of Bertram Rota and Barrie Kay of K Books in Yorkshire.

What is selling best at the moment? Militaria, Books about Books and The Sette of Odd Volumes publications.

Biggest stroke of luck? To have been able to travel the world with my work and at the same time to have visited so many wonderful bookshops and to have met the great eccentrics of this profession.

When is your busiest time of the year? February and October due to antiquarian book fairs that I participate in.

Where do you hunt for books? Auction houses for estates, book fairs and retiring university professors.

What are you reading at the moment? Mostly book dealers’ catalogues and Killer Eliteby Michael Smith.

A tip for a novice seller? Find a bookseller mentor, acquire very good reference books for your specialities and take a few bookselling courses.

Your assessment of the impact of the internet on the book trade? The internet has allowed every Tom, Dick and Harry to become a bookseller because of the perception of easy money to be made. How little they know! For me it has allowed me to fulfil a passion for books that would have been impossible before, as I have never wanted to have a book shop. Just to be able to be with books and to match up customers with books that they have always wanted, but couldn’t find is almost reward itself.

In association with abebooks.com TM

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