Where Books and
Travel, Collecting
and Curiosity Collide
Welcome to my corner of the universe, where stories live not just on the page but in conversation, travel, and the thrill of the hunt. From the backrooms of bookshops in Buenos Aires to the lounges of libraries in Leipzig, canal-side flea markets in Milan to the chateaus of writers in Bordeaux, I stalk people and paper in places that make print culture come alive. Think of this as your passport to biblio paradise.
Meet Nigel Beale
A biblio-tourist who travels the globe collecting books and magazines, (and the odd teapot). He’s best known for a podcast he hosts called The Biblio File which features long-form conversations about books and print culture (words and graphics, contents and containers), and examines the roles that authors, poets, publishers, booksellers, editors, book collectors, printers, scholars, literary critics, graphic designers, publicists, literary agents and others play along the ‘communications circuit’ - inside the book trade and out - from writer to reader.
THE BIBLIO FILE PODCAST
Conversations
to Bookmark
Because the world of books is bigger (and far more interesting) than just the bestseller list.
The Biblio File is where I talk with the people who make the literary world spin — writers, publishers, designers, critics, and the odd shit-disturber. Consisting of more than 650 long-form interviews, the archive represents a deep dive into print culture: the art, the business, the obsession.
You’ll hear about changing the world and the challenges of creating, the secrets of craft and the risks of publishing, the mechanics of distribution and the skills of selling, the charm of old presses and the power of design, the way to read and the thrill of discovery…
Think of it as an ongoing conversation about what physical books are, why they still matter — and why they always will.
ARTICLES, ESSAYS, CRITICISM, REVIEWS
Where Mind
Meets Matter
Reflections for the curious on literature, art, and culture
These writings feature both story and analysis. Part personal essay, part cultural critique, they explore what makes a book sing, a review sting, and an idea endure. Less hot take, more slow burn: close, thoughtful readings for those who appreciate language that provokes thought with a punch.
“How many cities have revealed themselves to me in the marches I undertook in the pursuit of books!”
- Walter Benjamin, Illuminations: Essays and Reflections
Vintage Magazines
& Ephemera
Buy the Magazine. Own the Story.
We collect and sell vintage magazines because, frankly, they’re super gorgeous and really educational — relics of a time when editors were fearless, art directors were innovative, and writers weren’t limited to 800 words. We love fashion and design magazines in particular. And celebrities. Anything that looks great, actually.
We look for excellence. Striking covers, stylish page layouts, eye-catching photography, playful illustrations, outstanding prose. Excellence and condition. Every issue we buy is in at least Very Good+ condition.
Every issue we own tells its own story: with strong editorial and powerful use of fonts, photographs and page design, and alluring, persuasive advertisements full of Wow! All our magazines speak to who we were, what we used to value most, what we loved, and feared. If you o.d. on the feel of smooth paper between your fingers, get turned on by exciting visuals, and are curious about history and style — this collection’s for you.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Words about the Words and Questions
"I wanted to thank you for your many generous and intelligent words about my new book How Fiction Works (and other stuff)... I get great pleasure from reading your blog."
— Critic, James Wood, The New Yorker
“You can find very bad writing and sloppy impressionism in literary blogs, but also incisive, fresh, thoughtful criticism from voices unencumbered by the politics of Grub St". I would put your blog in the latter category, which is why I’m responding here… Congratulations on a very fine blog."
— Scholar, Dr. Ronan McDonald, author of The Death of the Critic
"I listened to your excellent interview with Sandra Campbell the other day, about her Lorne Pierce biography. As usual, I was captivated throughout — penetrating questions eliciting interesting answers; a great sense of both the foreground life in the biography, and the larger significance of that life. Your questions are always well-informed because you have read the book both sympathetically and critically. Your podcasts are an essential feature of the Canadian cultural landscape."
— Best-selling popular historian Charlotte Gray
Travel for the
Bookish Soul
Little journeys through bookshops, libraries, and literary lives.
Being a “literary tourist” can mean many things: browsing used bookshops, traveling to book festivals, visiting authors’ homes, checking out special collections libraries, attending plays…
For me, it’s all of this — plus the fun exercise of meeting great people who make, collect and revere books.
These essays document such travels and encounters, providing a backstory to The Biblio File podcast. They express the joys of scouring bookstore districts in Tokyo, connecting with genius printers in Vancouver, learning about the history of bookbinding in San Francisco. They’re travelogues for book lovers — part memoir, part cultural anthropology, love letters to world of print.
Curiosity Is Contagious
Subscribe for fresh conversations, literary dispatches, and trips down bookish rabbit holes.
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