I started dealing in books in 2016 initially working with musician and antique trader Ben Brierly before setting up independently in Portobello Road. I had just completed a degree in graphic design following many years of performance as a stand up comic and when Ben suggested we buy and sell books together I was delighted. Ben had been in the book trade for many years and I will always be grateful for his knowledge and support which continues to be enhanced by collectors, other dealers, customers and my own ongoing curiosity.

I have always been excited by books. My first experience being, as a small child, when my parents moved from London to a house in Suffolk. This house had a large attic full of bookshelves containing hundreds of books, an inheritance, left by the previous owners. It was an eclectic collection and combined with my grandfathers books (a collector) the environment created for me, a solace and tranquility where I could spend many hours examining each book upon the shelves.

I was sent to boarding school where my favourite room was the one with the tall windows, with the views that stretched across wild Norfolk countryside and with two walls concealed by the Victorian breakfront bookcases stretching from floor to ceiling. This room, a showpiece, remained locked, out of bounds, used mainly for parent days and visitors and for us, the prep school inmates accessible for 1 hour per week. During this time, I could pick a book and spend the remainder of my time examining strange titles and climbing the towering Victorian library steps to access the mysterious top shelf.

My interest in books has been persistent. Studying for A levels, while at a London day school, I supplemented a grant by working for Simon Finch Rare Books. Later, as a comic, I created a comedy library collecting old scripts, biographies of Victorian music hall artistes and any antiquated theatrically related specimen I could lay my hands on. During my downtime, travelling across the country for gigs, I frequented second hand books shops spending many afternoons searching for remote titles, prior to my evening job.

Currently, I am situated on the Portobello Road most Fridays and Saturdays.

Books are also available online via the website.

ABOUT

Lyndon
Founder: Portobello Rare Books

Steve
Aid and Assistant
Part - Time

Brody, Pet,
Dogs body..