POM HARRINGTON

The man running Peter Harrington tells us more about collecting rare books, precious masterpieces and earning the right to flex.

- Hannah Choo

BOOKS ARE IN Pom Harrington's blood. It's been a running theme since 1969, when his father, Peter Harrington, began selling old and rare books at Chelsea Antiques Market on King's Road. Through the years, the eponymous brand grew and, with Pom taking over the reins in 2003, it's become one of the largest and respected antiquarian booksellers in the UK. Operating from Chelsea and Mayfair, Peter Harrington Rare Books is an enthusiast's destination for first editions, fine bindings, manuscripts and memorabilia.

A collector himself, Pom believes that collecting rare books should be fun and personal. He encourages the aspiring collector to buy the books that they love and the best that they can afford, for once it's time to bid them farewell, someone else will probably love them, too. Here, he tells us more about his collecting habits, holy grails and precious masterpieces.

What is it like to be you?

I usually start the day catching up on emails. It could be writing to someone from the UK, Hong Kong, Melbourne or the Middle East, seeing what's on offer or dealing with a customer. We've grown into a multi-department business so I then usually catch up with all the different heads, whether literature, travel or science, or take a look at auctions. The afternoon often involves dealing with clients in the US, so it can be quite a long day as we work across time zones and countries, but every day brings something new, which is the exciting part.