1. David Grayling – me and my books!
From hunting, shooting and fishing hobbies… to 35 years a bookseller
David Grayling Books specialises solely in volumes related to natural history and hunting, shooting and fishing – including big game hunting throughout the world. Based in Westmorland on the boundary of the Lake District National Park, I still take part in most fieldsports and am a keen conservationist.
Thirty-five years ago, when I lost my job as an agricultural adviser for a national company I turned my book collecting hobby into a business. My book-based livelihood began with the purchase of two old hunting books, about forty-five years ago in a small market town in northern England. This triggered my interest in scarce works on country sports and natural history which continues to this day.
In the early days I would scour the numerous antique and junk shops in Northern England. They often had boxes of old books tucked in a dusty corner. Gradually I acquired the knowledge and a degree of instinct for the better and scarcer works. One memorable purchase in the late 1960′s was a copy of the ‘Douai’ bible of 1582 – the first English translation of the Roman Catholic New Testament – which I sold for £100, a vast sum in those days!
As a traditional bookseller I have to have an intimate knowledge of rare and limited edition books in natural history as well as country sports; my network of contacts and clients extends around the world – and I hope this Blog that my young assistant is encouraging me to do will help me keep in touch with them!
In spite of the leaps I am trying to make into the technological world I am proud to remain a traditional bookseller at heart. I will continue to produce a number of printed catalogues each year. I couldn’t carry on in this business without the personal relationships I have built with many customers over the years and I intend to continue to do so!