An interview with Paul Foster Books
Biblio checks in with Paul Foster Books to learn more about their book business, collecting interests and more! To view and shop their inventory, click here.
When did you get started in bookselling?
1990 ---- 2020 marked my 30th year of bookselling. From running books to other dealers, a stall in Portobello Market, shops in Barnes and East Sheen in South west London and now dealing from home, it has been a fun and interesting journey. I have exhibited at hundreds of bookfairs, in England, Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong and several cities in USA and issued dozens of catalogues. I have handled very many beautiful and rare books and met lots of great people. A new catalogue is planned for the spring. If you are not already on the mailing list and would like to receive a copy, please contact me at; info@paulfosterbooks.com .
What drew you to bookselling?
Having failed at my first life plan, to make my millions as a Rock Star and retire to a big house in Ireland at 22 years old, I decided to get a proper Job. In 1990 I exchanged the black leather, hair dye and silly shoes for the world of rare books. Not having just one area of specialist knowledge allows me to deal in anything that catches my eye. My only criteria for my stock is that I must find it interesting, beautiful, unusual or challenging. I buy based on my instinct and, with a good reference library to back me up, sell books using a mixture of enthusiasm and knowledge. Looking at my books many have commented on the fact that I might have an eighteenth century economics book on the same shelf as a modern first edition of a childrens book. I feel that all books have their merits and that just because you like one style or subject doesn't mean you have to ignore others. This broad range of books keeps my job interesting throughout the year. One week I might be cataloguing early travel books, the next it could be post-war fiction. The dreams of Rock Stardom have now faded, although someone was heard to comment recently that "Paul Foster is to Bookselling what The Beatles were to Pop Music".
Do you have an open storefront or have you in the past?
After three years of selling books at markets, bookfairs and an indoor stall at an arcade on London's Portobello Road, I opened my first shop in the South West London riverside suburb of Barnes. The shop was very small and after two years I had outgrown the space. I moved to a much larger shop just along the river in Mortlake, most famous as the finish point for the annual Oxford and Cambridge University Boatrace, in 1995. This move lead to a growth in the whole business. I Joined the Antiquarian Booksellers Association and through the affiliation with ILAB started exhibiting at the Major Antiquarian Bookfairs in North America; New York-Boston-San Francisco-Los Angeles & Toronto. I also began to exhibit at the main ABA London bookfairs in Olympia and Chelsea each year. Due to major redevelopment of the property I vacated the shop in 2006 and since that time have been working, by appointment only, from my bookroom, first in East Sheen and Chiswick and more recently at my current address in North West London. I still attend bookfairs and have books in managed retail spaces in London. I also issue occasional general postal catalogues featuring a selection of stock from all ages, on many subjects and in all price ranges.
