30 years of selling bargain books!
Our founding father, Australian journalist Max Harris, dreamed up the name for our publication Bibliophile in 1978. In league with Bill Smith, former editor of Books & Bookmen and owner of an eponymously named chain of bargain bookshops "Booksmith", the two bookworms founded our mail order bookclub.
Later the business was partnered by Fred Bass “the New York Bookseller” and owner of the famous Strand Bookstore which in May 2007 celebrated its 80th year.
In 1992, our Annie Quigley was given the opportunity to buy the business by her mentor Bill Smith when he was dying. In July 1992 she bought out his widow and Fred Bass and became sole proprietor. Since then, it has grown to over four times the size and is still run by a small, dedicated staff, seven of whom have served over 10 years! In 2011 the company was granted a Royal Warrant, a distinction for quality of service and product - By Appointment, Booksellers to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
Cheap and cheerful, the founders chose a newsprint tabloid format, pithy quotes humorous anecdotes and succinct book reviews to tempt book addicts nationwide to sample the best selection culled from publisher's backlists, remainder dealers plus overstocks from a variety of sources. Up-market, literary, high-brow, discerning - the criteria still followed for today's big readers, with emphasis on value for money. All books are in MINT condition, unless otherwise described.
Free membership, customer letters printed, cartoons donated, quizzes, free Noticeboard for your book sales etc., free prize crossword. What other book club offers you all this?
You are addicted to books, so why let your friends off the hook? Gain their permission and send us the names and addresses of your favourite bookaholics and we will send them our catalogues.
The Recommend a Friend scheme contributes new customers who join us each year to keep the club strong and reduce expensive adverstising.
A speciality of Bibliophile is our Private Eye cartoonist Tony's cartoons. A friend of Bibliophile for over 10 years, Tony Husband has cartooned for dozens of our front covers and section headings lifting our collective spirits and adding his unique talents to the family book club. See his website Tony's Cartoons
Yet another speciality of Bibliophile is our owner and Editor Annie's family background. Her mother Aileen Armitage has written 35 novels and step-father Deric Longden has six books published. His two first bestselling books were made into films starring Thora Hird for which she won her only BAFTA and the International Emmy. Pete Postlethwaite and Jim Broadbent both played Deric and Julie Walters played Diana.
We sell their books signed whenever possible in our family book club. See websites Deric's and Aileen's or our author friends like David Day the Canadian poet, environmentalist and Tolkien expert.
Many authors like historian Max Arthur, artists Helen Cowcher and Frieda Hughes, crime writer Simon Brett, Python Terry Jones, the late great George Melly, Ray Hammond, cartoonist Neil Kerber and others have all been happy to sign their books for Bibliophile. We love their friendships and they love our enterprise! What other book club offers you all this? See us on Facebook and join in as a fan... Bibliophile-Books
