The ABA (Antiquarian Booksellers' Association), who organise the London International Antiquarian Book Fair is delighted to announce that 161 exhibitors have now signed up for this year’s fair. Now in its 55th year, the biggest and oldest fair in the UK will take place for the first time in the larger National Hall at Olympia (London W14) in May (Thursday May 24, Friday May 25 & Saturday May 26, 2012).

This year’s fair will be truly international with exhibitors from 15 countries taking part. 41 new exhibitors will be attending for the first time and they will be travelling from all corners of the globe.

The fair will also have more ‘Graphics’ exhibitors than in previous years. 2012 will see 10 exhibitors of visual materials such as maps and prints compared to previous years, where there have been two.

Fair Chairman, Brian Lake of Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers commented: “Stepping up to the National Hall is a big leap for the ABA in these uncertain economic times and I am really delighted with the trade’s reaction – making this the third biggest book fair in the world. I am really pleased that the committee's policy for Olympia 2012 has encouraged a record number of exhibitors - we still have more than two months to go and there is space in our new venue to accept late applicants. Our aim was to bring in new exhibitors with the offer of very reasonably priced 'taster' stands and this seems to have worked with 17 exhibitors taking advantage of this opportunity. We have also kept stand rents overall close to the 2011 prices and the new venue means that we have provided more stand and circulation space.”

Among the highlights this year are of course some Charles Dickens' books and manuscripts. A first edition of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby with illustrations by Phiz (Chapman & Hall, 1839) and inscribed on the dedication leaf to the painter David Wilkie, will be on sale for £120,000 at Jarndyce. Another first edition – Great Expectations (Chapman & Hall, 1861) will be on sale by the same exhibitor for £50,000 and A Collection of the Five Christmas Books, all first editions (1843-1848), for sale at £20,000. In addition Jarndyce also offers a holograph manuscript of Martin Chuzzlewit, written by Dickens in 1847 in order to raise money for Leigh Hunt's Benefit. The humorous series of caricatures is told in the first person by Mrs Gamp, the character from Martin Chuzzlewit (£80,000).

The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin (£75,000)

There will be many first editions of classic novels available, but among the ones that are probably most sought-after are Virginia Woolf's The Waves published by her husband's Hogarth Press in 1931 and with a dust jacket designed by her sister Vanessa Bell (£1,850/ Bow Windows Book Shop).   Among other first edition highlights are Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection...(1859/ £75,000/Peter Harrington) and a set of the first editions of Captain Cook's three voyages (1773-84/ £37,500/ Daniel Crouch Rare Books LLP). Peter Harrington is selling The Heart of Antarctic by E.H. Shackleton, a first signed limited edition, number 193 of 330 (£27,500).

Visitors will also be able to purchase a wide selection of maps and travel books at the Fair including the Atlas Russicus, an extra illustrated example of this amazing atlas from around 1738-80 by Joseph Nicolas de L'Isle et al. (£78,500/ Altea Antique Maps & Old Charts) or the first printed map of Japan to appear in an atlas from around 1603 (£2,250/ Sanders of Oxford). German Antiquariat Buechl-Baur is selling an important Brasilianum. Three volumes of Jean-Baptiste Debret's Voyage pittoresque et historique au Brésil, ou Séjour d’un Artiste Français au Brésil (1834–1839/ £55,000).

Atlas Russicus, 1738-80 by Joseph Nicolas de L'Isle et al. (£78,500)

For the best of British, there is a fantastic map of London for sale: England's Glory or The Glory of England, Being a New Mapp of the Citty of London, Printed and Sold by Robert Walton, at ye Globes Compasses, just at the west end of St. Paul's-Church from 1676 (£11,500/ Daniel Crouch Rare Books LLP). Another interesting London treasure is A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster, and the Borough of Southwark.... which gives fantastic birds-eye views of London Squares, first written in 1698 and then enlarged, like this 1754-55 edition (£9,500/ Nicholas Goodyer). For a nostalgic view of Britain and its traditional shops, the Country Life publication High Street by Eric Ravilious from 1938 will give you a fantastic glimpse of the olden days (£2,250/ Bow Windows Book Shop).

The Birds of Great Britain, 1873 (£75,000) 

Animal lovers will be fascinated by the complete set of John Gould's magnificent The Birds of Great Britain from 1873 (£75,000/ Peter Harrington).

The Fair is not just about books though, you will also find some fantastic drawings, illustrations, posters and even photographs.

Monkeyana or Men in Miniature, c.1827 (£575)

 A highlight is no doubt the charming Victorian watercolour drawing of Ada Byron, the only legitimate daughter of Lord Byron and the world's first computer programmer (c. 1850/ £9,500/ HM Fletcher); there are also some beautifully hand-coloured aquatints of St. Petersburg from 1815 mostly after Mornay (£7,500/ Nicholas Goodyer) A large paper copy of Edwin Landseer's brother Thomas's engraving Monkeyana or Men in Miniature (c.1827/ £575/ Nicholas Goodyer) can be found at the Fair as well as the caricature by William Heath depicting a duel between Wellington and Winchilsea in Battersea (1829/£250/ Sanders of Oxford).

Salvador Dali designed French travel poster, 1970 (£125)

The complete yearly issue of an Italian fashion magazine with many illustrations might attract the interest of many ladies wanting to start their collection (1844/ £1,400/ Kunstantiquariat Monika Schmidt) as might the very attractive complete yearly volume of a rare Belgian botanical periodical about Camellia flowers (1851/ £2,100/ Kunstantiquariat Monika Schmidt) or indeed the beautiful Art Nouveau lithograph of a woman with a peacock from 1898 by Louis John Read for L'Estampe Moderne (£1,000/ Sanders of Oxford). For more modern taste there will also be a Salvador Dali designed French travel poster (1970/£125/ Graham York Rare Books) and a Dutch constructivism poster from 1930 (£600/ Librairie Pierre Coumans).

For anyone interested in original photographs, there will be several small collections on sale, including 6 photographs by Fritz Angerer, including some from his travels to Cameroon in 1886 (£1,000/ Antiquariat Dr. Paul Kainbacher).