The Book Bus: Rare Book of the Week

This week's Rare Book of the Week is more than a single book it's an entire pop-up secondhand bookshop sited in a 1935 Parisian bus which will be one of the many venues and attractions at this year's Ventnor Fringe on the Isle of Wight.

It's a quiet space in the Ventnor Fringe's creative storm, and visitors, artists, and the Fringe team all pop along to browse on board. The bus's carefully curated stock includes everything from rare and hard-to-find editions to paperback fiction, withbooks on art, travel, nature, history, plays, poetry tucked between its original worn seats, Art Deco sconces and route maps. 

"The Book Bus was created by and for Ventnor Fringe," said Tom Pritchard who runs the Book Bus with partner Jen. "We needed a space, the bus needed a use, and the festival brought us together. It's a really special thing, partly because it only exists for five days a year. Thousands of books, hours of prep, it all comes together for just a few days."

It will be located as in previous years in front of St Catherine’s Church, hosting free sets by poets, buskers, and musicians every day.

The 16th Fringe runs July 18 - 27.