Peter Harries

Spear’s Review

Peter Harries ran Boz Books until his death in 2022.

The shop was named after Charles Dickens’ early nom de plume and became a stalwart of book town Hay-on-Wye for more than three decades, catering to individual collectors of Victorian editions.

Harries entered the trade spurred by ‘his love of Dickens and Victorian literature in general’.

Over the years, Harries – who was known for having a ‘particular interest in literary first editions and unusual signed or association copies’ – sold many ‘firsts’, including works by Jane Austen, Anthony Trollope, the Brontës and of course Dickens. 

‘To be a book collector, one must enjoy the authors first,’ he said. ‘Investment, with constant change in fashion and value, is secondary.’