The End of an Era, and a Call for New Voices: Honoring the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize

In 2017, Heather O'Donnell and Rebecca Romney of Honey & Wax Booksellers set out to reshape the landscape of book collecting. Inspired by Mary Hyde Eccles’ famous observation that a collector requires "resources, education, and freedom," they established an annual $1,000 prize dedicated to young American women aged 30 or younger. Their goal was clear: expand the popular perception of who collectors can be by highlighting original, thoughtful collections assembled outside the conventional trade.

Now, in 2026, the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize has officially announced its tenth and final winner. As Heather O'Donnell clarified, the prize was designed from the beginning as a bounded, decade-long project. The Honey & Wax Prize itself has concluded—its archives preserved and its firm's chapter complete—and there will be no direct continuation or takeover under their firm's name.

Yet, while the Honey & Wax Prize draws to a close, it leaves behind a vibrant model and a vital message for the antiquarian world.

A Diverse World Connected by Words and Paper

The world of books and printed paper is a vast, interconnected tapestry. Bibliophiles connect across languages, disciplines, and centuries—some drawn to deep print history and binding traditions, others to literature, groundbreaking scientific works, or visual media like maps and vernacular photography. What unites this community is the shared urge to preserve, structure, and illuminate history through physical objects.

Over the past decade, Honey & Wax proved that young and unconventional collectors bring indispensable fresh perspectives to this world. By judging collections on originality, ingenuity, and subject focus rather than market value or sheer volume, they demonstrated how much the trade can learn from emerging generations.

An Opportunity for New Contests and Leadership

The conclusion of the Honey & Wax Prize opens a clear, inspiring void. The community does not need a simple handover; it needs new founders, new prizes, and new platforms.

This is an open invitation for individuals, institutional libraries, bibliographical societies, and trade organizations to step forward and launch their own initiatives:

• Targeted Awards: Create new prizes aimed at student collectors, or underrepresented groups tailored to specific niches—whether regional history, print culture, literature, or ephemera.

• Institutional & Trade Support: Organizations like bookseller associations, auction houses, independent bookshops, and special collections libraries are uniquely positioned to steward new awards, providing mentorship and visibility alongside prize funds.

• Shared Experience: Founders do not have to start from total scratch. Heather O'Donnell and Rebecca Romney have generously offered to share their decade of insights and experience with anyone building new programs to encourage young collectors.

The decade-long journey of Honey & Wax demonstrated that a modest financial prize paired with dedicated recognition can fundamentally alter how people view their own bookshelves. As one remarkable project reaches its planned conclusion, the door is wide open for the next generation of bibliophilic leaders to found awards of their own.

If you have an interest, suggest a focus. The future belongs to the new collectors.

Rare Book Monthly

The End of an Era, and a Call for New Voices: Honoring the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize

Rare Book Monthly

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The End of an Era, and a Call for New Voices: Honoring the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize

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