Collection: First Edition Books

Sancho's Rare Books sells a large collection of first edition books ranging from classic literature, such as Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, to more modern titles such as Agatha Christie's ouevre or J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. With evocative dust wrappers, authors' or illustrators' signatures and inscriptions, and being true representations of authorial intent, and whether you are on the lookout for the perfect gift idea or simply want to add to your own collection, one of our literary first edition highlights will appeal to you, we are certain of that. ...

Pre-1900 First Edition Rare Books

If you want to step a lot further back in time, then you will find in our collection many of the greatest works of 19th century literature and occasionally even earlier titles. Being a generalist antiquarian bookshop, you will find a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles. From timeless childhood favourites and candlelit tales such as Andrew Lang's first edition of The Red Fairy Book, quintesentially British comic masterpieces like the Grossmith brothers' The Diary of a Nobody (touted by authors like Waugh as "the funniest book in the world") or Three Men in a Boat, all the way to Dickens' greatest like Little Dorrit, we buy, curate and sell wonderful old, rare and desired antiquarian books of cultural and historical significance.

Modern and Contemporary First Editions

Browse our collection of rare books to find pioneering works that have truly shaped modern thought and storytelling. From bitter tragedies that defy any kind of labels (Lolita), multi-generational biblical alegories depicting good, evil and the power of choice (East of Eden), all the way to ultra-rare titles such as Winged Victory, the classic novel of WW1 aerial warfare, we have in stock many collectable books and modern first editions, some in their original wrappers, others rebound by skilled artizans and bookbinderies steeped in the finest tradition, and some even signed and inscribed.

There are many reasons why a reader may decide to collect first edition books, whether it boils down to authorial intent (wanting to make sure that you have the one edition that the author saw themselves through to completion, in most cases) or evocative features (think old firsts with books designs that become seared into one's memory, triggering complex associations of place and time, like the first time one read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as it came out from Alfred A. Knopf in the US or George Allen and Unwin in the UK). We work hard to ensure we have a broad, carefully-curated offering of rarer firsts in all literary genres, so you can confidently explore our First Edition book collection and find your next literary treasures.

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