About

About

My name is Nicola J. Smyth.

I am an antiquarian bookdealer and yes, I am a woman. No, I am not old but I do love old and rare books, fine bindings but foremost I am passionate about people’s stories and the lives they share with us in their books, photographs and travelogues.

I do not only collect books, I read them. I have a passion for old cars, old cameras, forgotten women-writers like Iris Origo or Josephine Tey, books written in the 20’s and 30’s and so on.

My husband has been in the book business forever. We met over 25 years ago, he fell in love with me in front of his very first bookshop, he provided me with books (and still does) and I fell in love with him.

Many european countries, 4 children, 5 dogs (not all of them are still with us) and tons of books later, after spending our life independently on the internet and travelling with our kids, we put down roots in beautiful West Cork, in the south-west of Ireland.

Over 10 years ago we opened up a real brick-and-mortar-shop, called The Time Traveller’s Bookshop and brought rare and secondhand books to this part of the world. My husband moved on from this business to an exciting new enterprise which he runs together with a partner, the business is called Inanna Rare Books (www.inannararebooks.com) and it is not far away from Skibbereen (just 10 minutes).

And I, The Time Traveller’s Wife ?

Well, at the end of 2018, I have decided to take over the old Time Traveller’s Bookshop in Skibbereen and unite my two passions in one place: Amazing Books within a Café with Plant-Based-Food & Juice-Bar!

The shop is called “Antiquity” – Vegan Bookshop-Café.

At the end of 2018, “Antiquity” was born as a family project and at the moment I am running the place together with my son Junah.

We are the first strictly plant-based (vegan) food-place in West Cork with a wonderful following of local people and regular visitors from abroad. People come here for the atmosphere, the food AND the books.

You can spend time browsing our shelves while drinking a cup of tea, coffee or a fresh juice. You will leave here healthy and happy and I would be very surprised if you would not also find a nice book you want to take home !

As of this autumn, I am adding a meaningful feature to our enterprise:

The first ever Bookshop-Holiday Residency - Experience in Ireland !

Please click here for more Information: “Bookshop – Experience”

Will I See you soon ?