"I've always collected first editions. My earliest find was Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel 'A Single Man', which I found at Gay's the Word bookstore in London. Some books come with surprising discoveries: my first edition of 'Maurice' (1971) by E.M. Forster came with a newspaper article slipped into its pages about how the book had to be printed posthumously… it had been hidden in the pages for over 50 years. I keep my collection in my library in my office at the Erdem studio, and also at our house in Bloomsbury.
"If I really like something, I get multiple editions. It can be overwhelming if you have books everywhere, so I have a librarian who comes once a month to help organise the collection. My tips for building a book collection? Follow your instincts. If you find something beautiful, buy it. I love rare Japanese books, especially mid-century ones on art and architecture. The next one I am trying to get is 'Japanese Folk Art and Design' by Kiyoshi Sonobe…"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The revival of absintheThe Week Recommends The once-banned 'green fairy' is back in demand in cocktail bars around the UK
-
How could AI-powered government change the UK?Today's Big Question Keir Starmer unveils new action plan to make Britain 'world leader' in artificial intelligence
-
The UK's first legal drug consumption roomThe Explainer 'Potentially transformative moment in UK drugs policy' as The Thistle opens in Glasgow
