The 2025 Melbourne Rare Book Fair hosted by the Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers (ANZAAB) will bring together international rare book experts and dealers later this month for the largest antiquarian book fair in the southern hemisphere.
The 55th annual event runs July 31 through August 2 at Wilson Hall within The University of Melbourne, the concluding event of Melbourne Rare Book Week which delivers a programme of free events across the city and Ballarat between July 24 and August 2.
Highlights include the world’s first printed object, the Hyakumantō Dhāraṇī, created in Japan 764-770 CE, one of only three letters written on board the HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin’s voyages, and a hand-colored first edition of the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle.
“For 55 years the Melbourne Rare Book Fair has celebrated our long and rich connection with books and literature,” said Melbourne Rare Book Fair convener and ANZAAB Vice-President Tim White. “It has become an essential part of the global rare book calendar. This year Melbourne hosts the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers Symposium, bringing distinguished speakers from around the world to our UNSECO City of Literature. For collectors, scholars, and enthusiasts alike, the Melbourne Rare Book Fair is a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of rare books and history and perhaps take some of it home with them.”
The ANZAAB Rare Book Fairs were established in 1972 and are now held annually in Melbourne and Sydney.
