Meet the ILAB Congress Scholarship Winners 2026: Viktoria Malik

The congress scholarship programme aims to encourage the next generation of antiquarian booksellers, foster international connections, and provide emerging professionals with the opportunity to engage with colleagues from around the world. We are delighted to introduce our three recipients over the coming days.

Our first recipient is Viktoria Malik, a cataloguer at London-based PY Rare Books.

Viktoria entered the rare book trade in 2022 as an intern at PY Rare Books while completing her Master’s degree in Rare Books at the Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté. Following her internship, she joined PY Rare Books in her first full-time position and has worked there ever since.

Working remotely from New York, Viktoria writes: "...attending the Congress would be an invaluable opportunity to build connections worldwide as I develop my role as a bookseller.
I am especially interested in strengthening ties with European collections and dealers, learning from their experience, and developing future collaborations... The Congress programme strongly resonates with my personal and professional interests. In light of my native Russia’s history, I am particularly drawn to the visits to the Stasi Archives, and the library of the Jewish Museum, Eastern European Judaica being one of our business’ major specialties. The host country of Germany is also meaningful to me because my interests include post-WW2 Displaced Persons’ archives and Germany’s history of publishing banned Russian authors (Tamizdat). Since 2022, I have collaborated with the Tamizdat Project, helping organise rare book charity auctions to support students displaced by war. More broadly, I hope to encourage greater collecting interest in the documented experiences of DPs, as censorship and displacement remain pressing issues today."

Beyond her professional activities, Viktoria has remained actively involved with her former master’s programme and recently led a seminar introducing students to internship opportunities within the rare book trade. She is passionate about creating pathways for young people entering the profession and strengthening connections between academia and the trade.

We are delighted to welcome Viktoria to Berlin this September.