Enjoy Jane Austen in paradise and so much more at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair in March in St. Petersburg

Jane Austen published Pride and Prejudice in 1813. More than 200 years later, it’s still a favorite among discerning readers. Will there be a copy at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair in March?

We can’t guarantee it, of course. The myriad booksellers who exhibit at the book fair make the choices of what they bring to the book fair. But it’s highly likely you’ll find a copy or make a connection with someone who has the same passionate interest in Jane Austen and her contemporaries.

We thought it appropriate that our avid reader have a copy of Pride and Prejudice as she enjoys a glass of wine at the beach at the end of the day. It captures the allure of the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, doesn’t it? And it’s why we say it’s a Book Lovers’ Paradise.

St. Petersburg. It’s a destination. The Sunshine City in the Sunshine State. The beach close by. Many of our fairgoers who don’t already live here turn the occasion of the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair as a reason for a vacation. Believe us. We understand completely.

This is another in our series of images highlighting the fascinating and varied selection of printed material you’ll find at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair on Saturday and Sunday, March 1-2, 2025 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg.

Of course, there's much more to the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair than the ever-popular Jane Austen. Keep an eye out for more in the weeks leading up to the book fair. 

Tickets are already available at Eventbrite.com. Visit our website at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com.

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🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 82: Books in Boston (what a show!) Now looking toward St. Petersburg in March!

In this episode, the discussion is focused on the just-concluded Books in Boston Shadow Show and the upcoming Florida Antiquarian Book Fair. 

Co-host Ed Markiewicz, fresh from the Books in Boston Shadow Show, congratulates Richard Mori, one of the organizers of Books in Boston, on a terrific show. Richard said there was good attendance, and Ed attested to having a successful show. 

Meanwhile, co-host Lee Linn, who exhibited at Boston last year and had a mishap that resulted in a broken leg and a broken arm, said she missed being at Boston and said she intends to be there next year. The discussion continues with fond memories of the Boston show and of shows past in Florida, which is in its 42nd year. 

Both Lee and Richard have exhibited at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair for years. They hoped to convince Ed that he should be there, too. Alas, Ed revealed that he will be out of the country in March, traveling in Europe. Perhaps Ed will share video of his European adventures for upcoming episodes of Rare Book Cafe. 

A SPECIAL REQUEST: Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends. If this is the first time you've watched Rare Book Cafe, let us know what you think in the comments. If you're a regular watcher, tell us in the comments how often and what you enjoy about the show. 

Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series. 

Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscripts in Amherst, Massachusetts, and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia. Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. 

 The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-2, 2025 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com

 #rarebooks #collectiblebooks #ephemera #ephemeraforsale #leatherboundbooks #leatherbound #antiquemapsandprints #bostonbooklovers #booksinboston #floridabookfair #floridaantiquarianbookfair #rarebookcafe #bookloversrendezvous

A SALUTE TO VETERANS DAY and our onward march to the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair on the weekend of March 1-2

 IN HONOR OF VETERANS DAY, here’s the next installment of our images leading up to the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair in March.

Here we have a book lover so fascinated with the history of World War I that a transformation takes place as he reads. We’re showing it visually but avid readers are familiar with the phenomenon. We get so caught up in the subject at hand that everything else melts away.

As seen here, it’s as if a giant picture window has opened up and thrust our reader right into the world he’s reading about.

We thought it appropriate to feature this image on the observance of Veterans Day, which marks the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. Though the Treaty of Versailles wasn’t signed until the following June, fighting had already ended.

As followers of the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair know, our theme for 2025 is Discover Your Treasure. We’ve gone into detail elsewhere about our salute to the swashbuckling history of our region. If you missed it, be sure to read our blog.

Meanwhile, as longtime visitors to the book fair know, there will be a wide variety of offerings on every subject imaginable. Leading up to opening day on Saturday, March 1, we’ll highlight some of the topics we’ll see at the book fair, so stay tuned.

Why we say "Discover Your Treasure" and other things you should know about the 2025 book fair that's coming in March

We hope you’re going to be as excited as we are about the 2025 Florida Antiquarian Book Fair. We wanted to be sure to tell you that tickets are now available at Eventbrite.com. So you can be among the first to get them.

As you probably know by now, the theme for the book fair is Discover Your Treasure. We think it’s a perfect theme for our book fair for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, if you’re a fan of the annual book fair, you already know that it is, indeed, a place to discover your book or paper treasure — in almost any genre.

 This is the 42nd year of the book fair, and over the decades book lovers have discovered some of the most wonderful treasures to add to their collections. If this is your first time, you’re going to find out what our returning patrons already know — if you love books (and other vintage paper items) this is the place for you.

Booksellers annually come from all over the country — and sometimes from overseas — with some of the most amazing items that are certain to thrill anyone who is open to literary discovery.

So there’s that.

But there’s another reason Discover Your Treasure is so appropriate for us. It’s our salute to our heritage. Many people know that hundreds of years ago, when piracy on the high seas was at its zenith, Florida was a favorite hiding place for buccaneers and their booty.

The natural coves and bays along Florida’s sparsely populated coastline were perfect for the privateers’ purposes. Sometimes, even in modern times, pieces of eight have been known to wash up on our beaches.

Of course, Tampa Bay’s NFL football team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the annual Gasparilla celebration also help keep the heritage alive.  We’ll be talking about all that later on but for now suffice it to say that you’re in for a treat if you’re a book lover (of course you are) because the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair is, indeed, the place to Discover Your Treasure.

There’s a code in the graphic at the top but if you’d rather use a simple link, here it is. Get your tickets early. We’ll have more exciting highlights leading up to the book fair.

TICKETS LINK TO EVENTBRITE.