World of the Book | Free Guided Tour

World of the Book Guided Tour

Join an expert guide at 11:00am or 2:00pm on selected days for an engaging journey through one of Australia's most celebrated book exhibitions. Advance bookings are essential, with session details and ticket availability available through the Library's Eventbrite listings.

World of the Book showcases more than 400 rare, remarkable and historically significant works, each revealing the cultural, artistic and emotional influence books have had across generations. The exhibition traces the evolution of the written word from around 2000 BCE to the present day, celebrating everything from the craft of bookmaking and illustration to literary history and storytelling.

Among the highlights are rare first editions by celebrated authors including Jane Austen, Agatha Christie and Octavia Butler. The tour also explores Australia's publishing history, featuring the Melbourne novel that became an international bestseller and outsold Sherlock Holmes, along with Melbourne's pioneering Sugar and Snails Press, one of the country's earliest publishers of non-sexist children's books.

Visitors will also encounter some of the world's oldest printed works, including Japan's Hyakumant? Darani, together with beautifully preserved 17th and 18th century printed and handwritten amulets and talismans from Europe and Mongolia.

Please meet your guide at Hansen Hall, located in the Swanston Street Welcome Zone, before the tour begins.