EFE METIN CETIN
I started my fascination with antique books when I was 14 years old. Growing up in Istanbul, I spent weekends in the Balat district, searching through local street vendors for rare books and historical texts. My interest in historical works began—well, twice. The first time was when I came across an old Turkish book from the 1960s on Socrates and Aristotle; I was immediately taken by the craftsmanship of its binding and the distinct, evocative scent of the pages. The second, and far deeper, moment came when I acquired an 1811 edition of Early English Metrical Romances by George Ellis. I was captivated not only by the binding and the marbling of its pages, but by the very idea that I was holding a piece of history from the early English Industrial Revolution in my hands.
Me in Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 2025
Eager to learn more, I spent some time working in a local bookshop, where I was able to deepen my understanding of book preservation, history, and craftsmanship. Gradually, what began as a small personal collection evolved into a more deliberate effort to curate, study, and protect historical works.
Over the years, the Deltian Library grew beyond its original beginnings. First in Ottawa, Canada, where I graduated high school, and now in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, I have continued to expand the collection and refine its focus. Today, the Library houses a privately curated selection of rare and historical works, with holdings reaching back as far as the 16th century.
Now, as a student of Economics and Business at the University of Amsterdam, my formal academic focus lies in the field of economics. Yet alongside this, my real intellectual curiosity lies in logic, philosophy, and mathematics, which remain central to how I think and learn. Through the curation of the Deltian Library and the research undertaken for the Journal, I continue to satisfy a longstanding curiosity for history, literature, and philosophy, allowing these disciplines to remain a vital part of my intellectual life. Both the Deltian Library and the Journal reflect a belief I have held from the beginning: that the rigorous study of the past can enrich the way we understand our present and shape the way we engage with the world tremendously. In sharing these works and ideas, I hope to contribute to the preservation and dissemination of knowledge.
An old, humble bookstore in Balat where I worked as a teenager, taking my first steps into the world of antique books