The writer and journalist Julia Navarro will inaugurate this Thursday the 48th Madrid Antique and Second-Hand Book Fair. The event, held at the Paseo de Recoletos, will bring together 37 specialized bookstores from across Spain, showcasing their collections until May 17. This year's edition commemorates the 150th anniversary of Editorial Calleja.
Since 1977, the Madrid Association of Second-Hand Booksellers has organized this cultural event, transforming the Paseo de Recoletos into a vast open-air literary space. The offerings are diverse, ranging from affordable copies starting at one euro to highly valuable bibliographic items, including incunabula, original manuscripts, and rare editions.
The selection includes signed first editions, engravings, maps, magazines, comics, and various paper collectibles. The president of the Madrid Association of Second-Hand Booksellers, María José Blas Ruiz, highlighted the fair's national significance, both for its sales volume and the quality of the collections presented annually.
“"The fair is a national benchmark both for sales volume and for the quality of the collections it gathers each year."
As part of tradition, the organization will publish a commemorative facsimile of the Saturnino Calleja Publishing House catalog from 1911, a work reflecting Spanish editorial production from the early 20th century. The tribute to Saturnino Calleja is the central theme of this edition, recognizing his contribution to the renewal of children's literature in Spain and his impact on generations of readers for over a century.
This year's poster was designed by the Valladolid-born illustrator Juan Berrio, and its image symbolizes the intergenerational link through reading, with an aesthetic inspired by 1950s poster art. The program also revives 'Saturdays at Recoletos,' offering morning activities such as poster signings by illustrators and free historical walks exploring the connection between the Paseo de Recoletos and the world of books.
