Where Books and
Travel, Collecting and
Conversation Collide
Meet Nigel Beale
Welcome to my corner of the universe, where life is full of stories not just on the page, but in conversation, travel, and the thrill of the hunt.
From the backrooms of bookshops in Buenos Aires to the lounges of libraries in Leipzig, canal-side flea markets in Milan to the chateaus of essayists in Bordeaux, I stalk people and paper in places that where print culture lives. Join me on my literary travel adventures.
I’m a writer and biblio-tourist who treks the globe on a quest to understand, and bare witness to, our absurd human condition by collecting — books, conversations, experiences, magazines, the odd teapot — trying to impose order on the chaos.
I’m best known for a podcast I host called The Biblio File which features long-form discussions about books and print culture (words and graphics, contents and containers) and examines the roles that authors, poets, publishers, booksellers, editors, book collectors, printers, scholars, literary critics, graphic designers, publicists, literary agents, and others play along Robert Darnton’s ‘communications circuit’ — inside the book trade and out — from writer to reader.
THE BIBLIO FILE PODCAST
Conversations
to bookmark
Because the world of books is bigger (and far more interesting) than the bestseller list.
The Biblio File is where I talk with the ‘best practitioners’ who make the book world buzz — writers, publishers, designers, critics, and yes, the occasional shit-disturbing bibliophile.
Consisting of more than 650 long-form interviews, the archive represents a comprehensive, panoramic overview of book and print culture: the art, the business, the obsession.
You’ll hear about attempts to change the world; the challenges of creating; the secrets of craft and the risks of big print runs; the mechanics of distribution; the tactics of bookselling; the intricacies of indexing, the productions of old presses and the power of design; the best ways to read, and the thrill of the kill…and way more.
I collaborate with, cajole, and sometimes confront guests , all in order to get at their truths, “the truth” about books.
Think of this podcast as an ongoing discussion about what books are, how they work, who makes them, who values them, who benefits from them, why they still matter — and why they always will.
ARTICLES, ESSAYS, CRITICISM, REVIEWS
Where mind
meets matter
Reflections on literature, place, art, and print culture
These writings include essays, reviews and feature stories that I’ve written over the years on topics that have interested me: books of course, print and visual culture, travel, collecting. Part personal commentary, part cultural critique, they mostly explore how new places, people and ideas have changed me; how authors, publishers, designers and cities have influenced my thinking; how looks and books, magazines and designs have affected me. Each are a result of close reading and observation, each contains language and content that I hope will educate and entertain you, and provoke a little reflection.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Words about the Words
"I wanted to thank you for your many generous and intelligent words about my new book How Fiction Works (and other stuff)... I get great pleasure from reading your blog."
— Critic, James Wood, The New Yorker
“You can find very bad writing and sloppy impressionism in literary blogs, but also incisive, fresh, thoughtful criticism from voices unencumbered by the politics of Grub St". I would put your blog in the latter category, which is why I’m responding here… Congratulations on a very fine blog."
— Scholar, Dr. Ronan McDonald, author of The Death of the Critic
EXPLORE THE SHOP
Vintage magazines
& ephemera
Why buy these magazine?
We collect and sell the vintage magazines we sell because, frankly, they’re gorgeous. That’s the main criteria. We look for innovative art direction, evocative illustration, and talented writers. We particularly love fashion and design magazines, because they often spearheaded changes in visual culture. Celebrities are interesting too. In fact, we’re after pretty much anything that looks great, as you’ll see.
We look for excellence: striking covers, strong typography, excitingly choreographed, stylish page layouts, dramatic, eye-catching provocative photographs, skillful illustration, outstanding prose, alluring, persuasive advertisements full of Wow! We’re after the complete package.
Excellence and condition. Every issue we buy is, at minimum, in Very Good+ condition
If you od on the feel of smooth paper between your fingers, get turned on by exciting visuals, and are curious about design and cultural history — this collection is for you.
“How many cities have revealed themselves to me in the marches I undertook in the pursuit of books!”
- Walter Benjamin, Illuminations: Essays and Reflections
Travel for the
learned soul
My little journeys through bookshops, libraries, and bookish lives.
Being a “literary tourist” can mean many things to many people: browsing used bookshops, participating in book festivals, visiting authors’ homes, haunting special collections libraries, attending plays…
For me, it’s all of this — plus the pleasure of meeting and interviewing exceptional people who write, make, sell and/or revere books.
These posts document such travels and encounters, providing the backstory to my Biblio File podcasts. They express, for example, the joys of scouring bookstore districts in Tokyo, connecting with genius printers in Vancouver, learning about the history of bookbinding in San Francisco. They’re travelogues for book lovers — part memoir, part cultural anthropology, love letters to the world of print.
Curiosity Is Contagious
Subscribe for fresh posts, conversations, and dispatches from The Biblio File.
Get on the list and I’ll send you updates on new podcast episodes, essays, and whatever else I think might catch your fancy as I travel the world in search of print and profundity.