This year’s Annual Book Sale was our most successful ever due to a very generous donation from the estate of Brian Sewell, who sadly passed away last year. This donation, which amounted to over 10,000 books, was an enormous part of Sewell’s collection and traversed every period of the art history with particularly rich sections on the Italian Renaissance, Post-Impressionism and Surrealism. With books of all prices, the Sale was accessible to everyone from students to collectors.
The total taken this year was £40,033. This more than doubled the take from last year and broke the previous record of £33,000.
Our conscientious team of volunteers, led by Eva Marie Barker and Niccola Shearman, worked around the clock to run the Sale. Our volunteers came from all realms of Courtauld life, from those who have been running the Book Sale since it began several years ago to those who have only just begun their studies. The Sale united students, staff and alumni in a colossal effort to collect, price, present and sell the 15,000 books that were donated. Though their efforts the Book Sale has transformed over the last few years into one of London’s literary highlights.
Director Deborah Swallow said “The unprecedented success the Sale achieved this year is an inspiration to all. The funds raised are vital to improving the student experience and the importance of giving students the chance to purchase these invaluable art history books cannot be underestimated”.
We would like to thank Professor David Solkin, Sir Nicholas Penny, Sir Nicholas Serota, Neil MacGregor, The Paul Mellon Centre, Alan Cristea Gallery, Daniel Katz Gallery and Yale University Press for their sizeable contributions to the Sale. We would also like to thank Jane Ferguson, who originally set up the Sale, for all of her support.
All of the proceeds from the Sale fund student travel scholarships for Courtauld students allowing them to gain first-hand experience of their research objects in every corner of the world.