Antwerp, Bibliotheek Permeke, 23 April 2015 - A review in pictures

Bibliotheek Permeke in Antwerp (Belgium) is an inspirational place. Built 10 years ago right in the middle of a deprived part of the city it was a farsighted first step in the city’s endeavour to clear the slums and improve the lives of its people. Now, a decade later, every day thousands of readers visit the library - ideally by bike - to borrow books, use the internet, to read and get information and drink coffee in the glass pub. Bibliotheek Permeke is a symbol that books change lives and that the power of reading is vital and essential.

On April 23 Erik Tonen and Peter Everaers met the library visitors in the foyer, raised funds for the UNESCO literacy projects in South Sudan and showed rare and fine books to the readers they would otherwise very likely never have seen.

More pictures:

5 pm, Antwerp - 152 euros for South Sudan from Antwerp

The ILAB Pop Up Book Fair at Biblioteek Permeke in Antwerp has closed now. The antiquarian booksellers Erik Tonen and Peter Everaers collected 152 euros for the UNESCO literacy projects in South Sudan!

Thank you very much!

1.15 pm, Antwerp - Books across the borders on UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April 2015

Two antiquarian booksellers, one trading in Belgium and the other in The Netherlands, decided an international boundary lying between them wasn’t going to stop them participating in ILAB’s celebration of UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day.

Erik Tonen usually enters “his more than elegant antiquarian bookshop” on the Kloosterstraat in Antwerp greeting the shelves with a “Good morning, books” (Marc Didden in De Standaard). Around 30 kilometres northwards, in Ter Hole you will usually meet Peter Everaers of Secundus Antiquarian Booksellers, dealing with fine books, maps, manuscripts and ephemera on the history, literature and art of Zeeland and Flanders. Today the two colleagues are holding an ILAB Pop Up Book Fair at the Bibliotheek Permeke in Antwerp.

Books on boats, in the streets, at central stations and in library foyers - How the Dutch celebrate UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day 2015

This is amazing! The Dutch Antiquarian Booksellers' Association (NvVA) has 70 members, all professional rare book dealers and leading experts in their fields. Many of them will take part in the worldwide celebrations of UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day. They are organizing no less than FOUR ‪ILAB Pop Up‬ Fairs on 23 April 2015 - in the streets, at central stations, in libraries and on a boat! This is such a great way to promote the rare book trade, the fascination of books and importance of literacy.

Take the train to Haarlem or the boat to Amsterdam, go shopping in Groningen's Folkingestraat and enjoy the books at Antwerp's Biblioteek Permeke!

ANTIQUAREN MET UNESCO WERELDWIJD IN ACTIE VOOR HET BOEK

> The full program in Dutch can be found here!

Tot ziens!