Book lovers will soon be flocking to Tewkesbury for a bonanza book event with a twist.
The event is being hosted by volunteers from Bookworm, the town’s most popular second-hand bookshop.
Spread across two town centre venues, the event will include a book fair, plus a separate auction of collectable books and stamps, as well as offering the opportunity for the public to bring their treasures along for independent valuation and assessment on Sunday, June 30, in an Antiques Roadshow meets Bargain Hunt mix up!
The bookshop located at 150 High Street will be manned by volunteers from 11am. A wide selection of donated quality fiction and non-fiction books, stamps, sheet music, postcards and jigsaws will be available spread over two floors in a quirky Grade II Listed building just a stone’s throw from the town’s war memorial, The Cross, perfect for leisurely browsing.
There will also be exclusive access to around 2,000 additional titles which are only normally available from the shop’s online bookstore. These include rare, antiquarian or niche books suitable for book fans, collectors and dealers.
Over the road in Barton Street, the auction will be hosted by experienced auctioneer Steven B Bruce at The Watson Hall from around 2pm.
Auction lots can be viewed from 11am and there’s a delightful vintage tea room for delicious homemade cakes and drinks to relax in before the main event starts. As an added highlight, Mr Bruce will be presenting an insightful talk into the world of antiques as well as offering valuations (not just limited to books) for those who are interested in finding out the value of their family heirlooms and treasures.
Steven said: “I’m passionate about antiques and collectables relating to the past. I will be chatting about the reality behind the many popular TV shows now available that feature buying and selling antiques. I’ll also be on hand to give advice and guidance to less experienced collectors.”
Entry to the event is free. A donation of £5 per item is suggested for valuations on a first-come-first-served basis with donated funds going to cancer charity Hope for Tomorrow.
Part-time manager Karen Brennan said: “We keep our online books tucked away in storage to maintain their condition, and for this reason our stock is not usually accessible to the general public.
“Our rare and more valuable books are listed with ABE Books, a well known international online bookstore, and on June 30 the public will be able to purchase these books which we normally post out with the benefit of saving on postage costs by collecting direct from us”.
