See rare Shakespeare folios, Freud letters and more

Where can you find the oldest printed object in the world, the first illustrated print Pride and prejudiceAnd one of Sigmund Freud’s personal letters – all in a room – this weekend?

Melbourne right here.

Saturday is the last day of the Melbourne Rare Book Fair, which lasted three days at the Wilson Hall of Melbourne University. However, although the event is the 55th installment of the event-the largest rare book fair in the South Hemisphere continues to be one of the best-held literary secrets of Melbourne.

There are some special products exhibited this year, including Hyakumanto Dharani (one million Pagodas and Dharani prayers), the oldest printed object in the 8th century Japan. There is also a page of the first edition of the Gutenberg Bible, the first part of the Western world.

In addition to Jane Austen Pride and prejudiceThe British canon has other valuable ruins. For Bard’s fans, London -based rare book sellers Peter Harrington, one of Shakespeare’s third foils is well preserved. Foliolar was the first of Shakespeare’s anthologies and has 18 previously published games.

“There wouldn’t be Shakespeare without Foliolar, Har Harrington says. “This is the rare foil of the four because of the big fire [of London]. “Today there are only a few dozen copies in private hands around the world.

This year, some dealers in the fair have not exhibited their collections in Australia before or have not done this for decades.

Many of them came to Australia for the Annual International Symposium on International Antikist Bookstores. An opportunity to discuss the difficulties faced by Rare Book Academicians and Dealers in the 21st century, the event has not taken place in Australia before. Melbourne’s first output, on July 30, led to the 2025 Rare Book Fair, which has an impressive sequence.