The Book Collector Podcast

This article, 'Shaken and Stirred or The PMM Martini', written by Victoria Dailey, was a popular inclusion in our Winter 2023 PMM special issue and is read by Kate Fleming. The podcast includes the full recipe for John Carter's Dry Martini read by James Fleming.

Written for our Summer 2021 issue, Visualising Dracula takes a look at the various illustrative interpretations of the iconic villain. It was written by Simon Cooke, and is read by Sarah Bennett

“One of the best things I have ever read on Bond” - The Guardian, 6/10/2021. Bond Behind the Iron Curtain, written and read by James Fleming. Ian Fleming's nephew explores previously unseen material translated from the languages of Russian and its communist satellites, detailing their attack on capitalism and the character and morals of the Western hero, 007. An astonishing story.

This article was published in The Book Collector's Summer 2023 issue. Written and read by Philip Gooden, it takes a look at some great works of Spy Fiction, the authors, characters and storylines that followed in the footsteps of Ian Fleming and James Bond.

Written by John Saumarez Smith for The Book Collector's Autumn 2009 issue. Read by James Fleming. Visit www.thebookcollector.co.uk for more information about our quarterly journals and how to subscribe.

The first article written by John Saumarez Smith for The Book Collector, from our Spring 2008 issue, looking at the library sales of some great collectors.

The latest in the JSS series from The Book Collector, this time read by James Fleming. John recalls the destruction of two country house libraries - Dropmore and Hampden in 1939 - in this article from The Book Collector's Spring 2009 issue.

Part of our 'JSS' series as Neil Pearson reads 'Is This Mr Gulbenkian?' from the Winter 2015 Issue, and a special copy of 'Poor Poems and Rotten Rhymes' by A. P. Herbert.

Part of our 'JSS' series of articles written by The Book Collector by John Saumarez Smith. This article appeared in our Autumn 2011 Issue, and looks back at the shop's 50th and 60th anniversaries in the year it celebrated it's 75th. He includes an account of the creation of the special catalogue created in 1996, dedicated entirely to books written by Haywood Hill customers. It is read by Neil Pear...

When global temperatures soared to a record high in 2021, the Doomsday Clock ticked to 100 seconds to midnight, the closest the Earth has been to total destruction in the 75 years since the clock started ticking. This inspired the title of Peter Harrington's catalogue on Climate Change, created by Emma Walshe, who wrote this article for The Book Collector's Autumn Issue in 2022. It is read by Sara...

From an article in The Book Collector's Summer issue in 2009 comes the latest in our 'JSS' series of podcasts, read by Neil Pearson. John Saumarez Smith fondly remembers some of the reps and travellers who sold books to Hayward Hill during his time as a book dealer.

From The Book Collector's Summer 2016 issue, this charming article by John Saumarez Smith details the relationships and experiences he had with various bookbinders during his long career as a book dealer. It is read by actor and bookseller, Neil Pearson. Listen to more from John and Neil via the JSS Podcast series, brought to you by The Book Collector

A superb reading of Countess Mary Waldegrave's 'ladylike' account of Lefty Lewis and his friendship with her and her husband, the great Walpole collector.  Read by Jackie Smith-Wood.

The latest in our JSS series of podcasts, read by actor and book man, Neil Pearson. This article by John Saumarez Smith appeared in our Autumn Issue for 2008.

The latest in our JSS series of articles written for The Book Collector by John Saumarez Smith of Hayward Hill, read by Neil Pearson. This one comes from our Autumn issue for 2010.

Appearing in The Book Collector's Spring 2022 issue and supported by a series of articles throughout the year titled 'Lost Friends', this article is written by Brian Alderson and is read by Sarah Bennett.

The obituary of Marni Hodgkin was written by Nicolas Barker for The Book Collector's Summer 2015 Issue.

The latest from the marvellous John Saumarez Smith series, read by Neil Pearson. This episode, titled 'Stanley Olson's Non-Existent Literary Archives' was first published in The Book Collector's Summer 2015 issue.

This is the obituary of Eleanor Garvey, written by Nicolas Barker for The Book Collector's Summer 2013 Issue. Eleanor Garvey was a renowned expert on books and art, enjoying a long career as print curator at Harvard University's Houghton Library. It is read by Virginia Ferguson

Part Two of the JSS Series - Appearing in The Book Collector's Winter 2011 Issue, John Saumarez Smith writes of his experiences buying ready-made libraries for the wealthy Anglo-American clients of Hayward Hill. It is read by Neil Pearson.

Appearing in our Spring 2018 issue, the obituary of Iona Opie pays tribute to a world-famous authority on children's literature, folklore and notions of play. It is read by Virginia Ferguson.

Actor and Book man, Neil Pearson narrates a new Podcast series for The Book Collector, featuring articles written by legendary bookdealer John Saumarez Smith. This first episode, A Knockout Novel by a Compulsive Idler, comes from The Book Collector's Spring 2010 issue and takes a look at the operation of the infamous ring system used at country book auctions via a 1957 novel called Knock or Ring.

A Personal Chapter was written by Percy H Muir for The Book Handbook in 1951. It is read by James Fleming, editor of The Book Collector.

Our Podcast this week is an unusual one for The Book Collector, in that it is a piece of fiction. Written by Alan Noel Latimer Mumby for our Spring Issue in 1958, The Comte De Marnay is a short story about a passionate book collector and the lengths to which he goes to protect his treasures. It is an immersive tale, told by the former Librarian of Kings College, Cambridge, and delightfully read by...

This is Part 2 of the memoir of Emil Offenbacher, printed in The Book Collector's Summer Issue for 2022 with the kind permission of Emil's children, Florence Offenbacher Keller and Claude Offenbacher. It is read by James Fleming. This memoir is an account of a young Jewish-German bookseller and his family in their bid to escape Europe in the midst of the Second World War.