ABOUT US
Who we are and our history.
Keogh’s Books are secondhand and antiquarian booksellers based in Skipton, North Yorkshire, the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. We are dealers in finely crafted, historically impactful, rare and unusual books.
The business was founded in 1985 by the late Joe Keogh who traded for over thirty years before passing the business onto his daughter, Carmel Keogh.
In addition to our online business, we have a small bookshop at 71 High Street, Skipton, stocked with books for every type of collector and reader. You’ll find rare and interesting antiquarian items alongside shelves full of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books, including many paperbacks and inexpensive editions. View our shop opening hours here.
Please note, we would appreciate a call or email ahead of time if you wish to view any books from our online stock at the shop.
A Short History OF KEOGH’S BOOKS
1985
Keogh’s Books was founded in 1985 by Joseph (Joe) Keogh, who opened his first small shop in Leeds, tucked away on Back Kensington Terrace in Hyde Park, a short walk from the university.
1989
Joe sold his shop and moved to his native Ireland to explore the country while selling books at various markets. He settled in Cork and opened his second shop on MacCurtain Street, a bustling area of the city. After a couple of years there, Joe and his partner Kate welcomed their daughter Carmel to the world.
1993
Joe and his family returned to England, settling in Stroud, a market town in the Cotswolds. There he began trading at the town’s historic Shambles Market.
1999
The late-1990s saw a boom in e-commerce and Joe got onboard, building a thriving online business buying and selling books across the world. It remains the main component of Keogh’s Books, we sell books here on our website and through AbeBooks and eBay.
2004
2004 saw the business return to bricks and mortar when Joe opened the third bookshop on Market Street in Nailsworth, a small town just outside Stroud. The popular shop remained there for 16 years, closing in 2020.
2020
In 2020 Joe passed the business onto his daughter Carmel Keogh. Joe sadly died in July of that year after suffering a short illness.
2022
Having spent most of her adult life in Yorkshire, Carmel brought Keogh’s Books to Skipton and opened the fourth shop on the town’s High Street.
We buy and sell books across Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire Dales, Skipton, Ilkley, Grassington, Settle, Harrogate and Leeds.
Looking to Sell your books?
Click below to find out which items we are interested in buying and how to get in touch.