Our History

The Origins of the PBFA
The Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association began - officially - in 1974, although the history can be charted back a further couple of years. The Association was born of a need - originally identified in the West of England - for a regular London shop window for dealers with shops in the provinces. The prime mover was Gerry Mosdell who, from his Barnstaple shop in 1972 advertised for participants in a series of two-day monthly book fairs, to be held in South Kensington at the Hotel Eden. The first fair was arranged for July, and there were nine exhibitors.

Applications for spaces flooded in and Gerry Mosdell and his pioneering colleagues moved to the Mark Longman Library of the National Book League in Albermarle Street early in 1973, where space was more readily available for the thriving monthly fairs. After just a year a further move was necessary and the ballroom of the Kenilworth Hotel in Great Russell Street was chosen: the first Bloomsbury venue for the PBFA. October 1980 saw the 100th London Book Fair; March 1989 the 200th. And two decades later, Bloomsbury remains the site for the regular monthly fairs.

The PBFA itself was brought into being - as a trade association - at an inaugural meeting held on the 21st October 1974, where 21 firms were represented. Gerry Mosdell stood as Secretary, Alan Wilson as Chairman and Michael Holman of Anglebooks as Treasurer. The first AGM of the Association was held in January 1976.

Having established the monthly London fairs, the PBFA began to organise fairs in various towns and cities around the country. The first provincial fair was held in Liverpool in November 1972, followed by a Loughborough fair in the Spring of 1973. These were the very first tentative steps of the celebrated travelling circus. Now over a quarter of a century later - the PBFA organises an event somewhere in the country nearly every two days.

A central office was established and staffed in Cambridge during 1986 and five years later the Association purchased its own administrative headquarters in Royston.

Fully computerised since 1988, and with a membership established at over 600, those early days over twenty five years ago seem far away; yet the spirit of the enterprise, co-operation and friendship which emerged amongst those few early fellow- travellers continues to identify today's Association, for - computers, staff, headquarters and committees notwithstanding - today's PBFA is still a co-operative organisation, supported and managed voluntarily by its members.

Stephen Francis Clarke