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Established in 1981, Keel Row Books is the North East’s leading
specialist bookshop for rare, fine, collectable and first edition books.
We have a real passion for books and can offer expert guidance on
buying, selling, and appraising books, maps, prints and ephemera.
We believe in the cultural importance of books
and the enduring values they embody.
specialist bookshop for rare, fine, collectable and first edition books.
We have a real passion for books and can offer expert guidance on
buying, selling, and appraising books, maps, prints and ephemera.
We believe in the cultural importance of books
and the enduring values they embody.
About us
Anthony and Alice have owned Keel Row Books since 2006.
They also founded and directed yabseminar.com, the annual not-for-profit educational course for would-be booksellers.
They also founded and directed yabseminar.com, the annual not-for-profit educational course for would-be booksellers.
Anthony has been a bookseller for over 30 years. He has extensive experience in developing private libraries and has sold books to institutional libraries worldwide. He is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association, the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers and the Provincial Book Fairs Association. He co-founded the highly regarded educational programme the York Antiquarian Book Seminar in 2014 and was a faculty member for the first nine years. He currently sits on the board of the ABA Educational Trust, and served for three years on the Council of the ABA. He has a keen interest in the heritage & culture of the North East and sits on the board of the Bewick Society.
Alice has managed Keel Row Books since 2009. Originally from Northern Ireland, her background is in design and architecture. She co-founded YABS in 2014, and directed/event managed it for the first seven annual seminars. She is an associate member of the the ABA. Not surprisingly, she loves reading, and has a special interest in Irish & American literature.
Alice has managed Keel Row Books since 2009. Originally from Northern Ireland, her background is in design and architecture. She co-founded YABS in 2014, and directed/event managed it for the first seven annual seminars. She is an associate member of the the ABA. Not surprisingly, she loves reading, and has a special interest in Irish & American literature.
Averil
Averil has worked at Keel Row Books since 2007, and spends her time cataloguing our rare and collectable books. She’s an English history buff, a member of the Richard III Society and loves traditional English customs and festivals. She spends most of her weekends and holiday time criss-crossing the country to attend curious traditional events and festivals.
Caroline
Caroline started her bookselling career while writing up her PhD. She focuses her time on our online bookshop, and we'd be lost without her organisational and spreadsheet skills! An avid reader since childhood, she enjoys crime fiction and horror, although much of her reading is now with her children.
Stacey
Stacey is especially interested in books on folklore and customs, working class literature, and ephemeral street literature such as chapbooks, ballads, and broadsides (the bawdier the better!) Before working at Keel Row she was a long-time customer, getting lost for hours in the Penguin Room. She has previously worked as a Special Collections rare books cataloguer at Ushaw College and Palace Green Library.
What Matters To Us
From the moment we buy or value a book, to selling the same book, we endeavour to provide a service that we can be proud of and one that the customer is more than pleased with. We make every effort to offer a fair price for books, then research them diligently and describe them accurately. It can be hard to identify whether a book is valuable- be assured that our specialist knowledge will help you work out the real value of your book. We know a true first edition from a later impression and we can assist in authenicating a signed book. Whether it's a Harry Potter paperback, an antiquarian book, or a rare Ian Fleming first edition, we offer the same high standard of service.
We are part of the local community and we aim to preserve the local history of the region by promoting and preserving its unique culture and heritage.
We are also environmentally conscious- a second-hand bookshop is after all wholly based on the reuse of existing resources! We are phasing out the use of plastic in our online order packaging, and through our energy provider, the bookshop runs on 100% renewable electricity.
We are part of the local community and we aim to preserve the local history of the region by promoting and preserving its unique culture and heritage.
We are also environmentally conscious- a second-hand bookshop is after all wholly based on the reuse of existing resources! We are phasing out the use of plastic in our online order packaging, and through our energy provider, the bookshop runs on 100% renewable electricity.
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