COLLECTORS are counting the days until Oxford’s biggest book fair of the year.

It will take place in the main hall of Oxford Brookes University’s Headington Hill Campus on Saturday, April 21, from noon until 6pm and on Sunday, April 22 from 10am to 4pm.

Book dealers will travel to the fair from across the country and Blackwell’s rare books department will also have a stand at the event.

The fair, organised by booksellers Tom Lintern-Mole and Conor Pattenden, is backed by the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association.

Mr Lintern-Mole said: “This year about 100 dealers will offer thousands of rare and collectable items, ranging in price from £2 to more than £10,000.

“We are returning to the newly refurbished hall at Oxford Brookes Headington campus and the venue has excellent transport links.

“In the past the fair has attracted national attention with notable highlights including an archive of the First World War aviator who coined the phrase ‘joystick’, and some of the earliest photographic images of the Thames.”

Among the unusual items up for grabs will be a manuscript inventory and letter book for the former Radcliffe Infirmary, from the 1840s, costing £495, and fine engravings of Oxford colleges in the Oxonia Illustrata, published 1675. This costs £12,500.

And A Cornerstone of Arctic Exploration, edited by Ernest Shackleton, Louis Bernacchi and Apsley Cherry-Garrard, is also for sale.

Dealer Peter Hill is offering this collector’s item, an exact reproduction of the South Polar Times magazine issued during Scott’s Antarctic expeditions, for £12,500.

London-based Peter Harrington, whose specialisms include travel, military and naval books will be attending, together with Kent-based Adrian Harrington, who specialises in first editions, children’s books, Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Mr Pattenden said: “Hundreds of book lovers will attend because there is such a good range of stock and prices.

“There will be about 90 book dealers over the two days.

“Admission is £2 but you can download a free ticket from oxfordbook.org.

“Last year the fair was in Wheatley but we are back in our usual venue this year.

“All the book dealers are looking forward to it - it has to be Oxford’s biggest book fair.”

Last month the Oxford Fine Press Book Fair was staged at the Kassam Stadium’s Conference and Events Centre.

There were 100 stands, run by specialist booksellers, with exhibitors from the UK, Europe and United States.

For further information about the Oxford Book Fair visit the website pbfa.org/book-fairs/oxford-premier-fair/6394