THE BOOKER PRIZE BINDINGS FOR 2026
“One of the highlights of the annual Booker Prize season comes when each of the shortlisted authors is presented with a unique, hand-bound edition of their nominated works, created by Fellows from the Designer Bookbinders society. These extraordinary, one-of-a-kind books are designed and made between the shortlist announcement and winner ceremony. Each book is the result of around 150 hours of dedicated work and the process, which involves at least 25 distinct stages, including the decoration of the edges of the pages and the final lettering, would normally take up to four months, in 2026 the binders have just a few weeks to complete their bindings.”
The binders for this year are: Sue Doggett, Kate Holland, Nicky Oliver, Dominic Riley, Lori Sauer and Rachel Ward-Sale.
THE DBUK BOOKBINDING COMPETITION 2027
“The DBUK Bookbinding Competition is an biennial event for UK-based bookbinders (excluding Fellows of Designer Bookbinders) to showcase their technical and artistic skills by binding a set book and/or their own “open choice” books. It encourages both traditional fine binding and more experimental approaches, with various prizes awarded for craftsmanship, artistic innovation, and student work. The competition, established in 1955, includes opportunities for public exhibition and feedback from experienced binders. The winners will be announced in November 2027.”
ABOUT
Designer Bookbinders is one of the foremost societies devoted to the craft of Contemporary bookbinding. Founded more than fifty years ago, our Society is a registered charity and has helped to establish the reputation of British bookbinding worldwide by means of events, education, exhibitions and publications.
Our membership includes some of the most highly regarded creators in the fields of fine bookbinding, book arts and artists’ books, each with a passion for presenting the bound text as a unique art object. Inspiration is the book in all its aspects – text, structure, illustration, print and paper – and the completed bindings are as diverse as the individuals who create them.
Become A Member
Designer Bookbinders Associate membership is open to subscribers worldwide. We welcome new members from all backgrounds – binders, conservators, collectors, librarians, teachers, people from other crafts, and book lovers in general. Learn more about becoming a member of Designer Bookbinders.
World Leaders In Our Craft
Designer Bookbinders Fellows are elected on submission of work, and are considered to have achieved the highest standards in both design and technique. Licentiates are elected on submission of work which is deemed to display a potential in design and technique likely to commend them as candidates for election to Fellowship within five years. The society is constantly seeking new talent, and promising bookbinders are encouraged to apply first for Licentiateship and then for Fellowship.
Learn Bookbinding Excellence From Craft Masters
Whether you’re a bookbinding beginner or an advanced artist, our regular masterclasses and workshops can help you to take the next steps in improving your craft. If you are based in the UK, when you are ready you could consider applying for Licentiateship.
* BOOKER PRIZE WORK IN PROGRESS UPDATES *
The deadline for the 2026 Booker bindings is next Wednesday 4th November, with the bindings then presented to the authors at the Awards Ceremony on Monday 9th November.
The six binders have been continuing to send in work in progress imagery and we are excited to continue sharing this with you. Today we have some more images from Lori Sauer who is binding "The Things We Never Say" by Elizabeth Strout...
_____
"With exquisite prose and profound insight, Elizabeth Strout captures the way grief reverberates through decades, the comfort found in deep friendships and the freedom that comes when we break free of our secrets
Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He spends his days teaching history to high schoolers, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades, makes small talk with neighbours, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. He is, by all appearances, present and alive. But inside, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad – at himself and the people around him – and turns a question over and over in his mind: how is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us?
And then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it, he is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear – and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence."
_____
Lori`s work is internationally recognised for its masterly fusion of structural innovation, subtle design, and unexpected material choices. We can`t wait to see what design she will come up with for her novel!
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
@lorisauer_beechingstoke
* THE BOOKER PRIZE FAQs *
The Booker Prize FAQs last year were a great hit so we are revisiting them for 2026!
_____________
How are the six binders allocated the books they are going to bind?
The “Booker Thirteen” longlist is announced a couple of months before the six that are shortlisted. If they wish, the binders can put forward a list in order of preference of the novels they may like to be paired with. Of course, there is no knowing which will make it through to the shortlist, or who may have selected their first choice of book before them! Some of our Fellows choose to leave it up to chance and bind whatever they are given after the other binders that year have had their novels allocated.
_____________
The image here shows the shortlisted titles for 2026, image © Yuki Sugiura for Booker Prize Foundation:
“The End of Everything” by M.John Harrison - being bound by Nicky Oliver (@blackfoxbindery)
“May We Feed the King” by Rebecca Perry - being bound by Sue Doggett (@sue.doggett)
“The Things We Never Say” by Elizabeth Strout - being bound by Lori Sauer (@lorisauer_beechingstoke)
“The Disappearers” by Marlon James - being bound by Kate Holland (@katehollandbook)
“John of John” by Douglas Stuart - being bound by Dominic Riley
“Black Bag” by Luke Kennard - being bound by Rachel Ward-Sale (@rachelward_sale)
@TheBookerPrizes @ReadingAgency
#BookerPrize2026 #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #boundbythebest
* BOOKER PRIZE BINDINGS WORK IN PROGRESS FEATURE *
On the 22nd September our six binders found out which of the shortlisted books they were due to bind, but how are they getting on so far?! We are excited to share some work in progress photos that have been sent to us, but we are keeping specific cover design details under wraps until the Awards Ceremony.
Today we have images sent to us by Dominic Riley who is binding "John of John" by Douglas Stuart...
_____
"John of John is the heartbreaking story of a young man’s return home and how the bonds of family life are torn by the weight of expectation
Out of money and with little to show for his art school education, John-Calum Macleod takes the ferry home to the island of Harris to find that not much has changed except for him. In the windswept croft where he grew up, Cal resumes his old life, caught between the two poles of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, weaver, and pillar of their local Presbyterian church, and his Glaswegian grandmother Ella, who has kept a faltering peace with her son-in-law for decades.
While Cal wonders if any lonely men might be found on the barren hillsides of home, John is dismayed by his son’s long hair and how he seems unwilling to be Saved. As the seasons pass, everything is poised to change as the threads holding together the fragile community become increasingly entangled. John of John confirms Douglas Stuart as one of the great British writers at work today."
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Dominic regularly uses multi-coloured goatskin onlays that are feathered and back-pared to form striking visual textures. We can`t wait to see what design he will come up with for his novel!
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
* BOOKER PRIZE BINDINGS WORK IN PROGRESS FEATURE *
On the 22nd September our six binders found out which of the shortlisted books they were due to bind, but how are they getting on so far?! We are excited to share some work in progress photos that have been sent to us, but we are keeping specific cover design details under wraps until the Awards Ceremony.
Today we have images sent to us by Sue Doggett who is binding "May We Feed the King" by Rebecca Perry...
_____
"Laced with desire and longing, May We Feed the King is a playful, stirring meditation on history and storytelling: on what makes a King `Great`, and a life meaningful
She is a curator, who spends her time dressing the rooms of historic buildings to bring them to life. But in the lush private quarters of a medieval palace, she finds herself so transfixed by the reign of an almost-forgotten King that the edges of her life begin to blur.
He is a reluctant ruler with no hunger for power, rushed to the throne after the untimely deaths of his older brothers. But it isn’t long before whispers begin to fly around the court. And with the growing belief that the King is not fit for the throne comes the idea that another might rule in his stead.
May We Feed the King dances between the lives of a historical subject who risks the future of his kingdom and a woman who turns to the past to hide from her present. "
_____
Sue frequently combines traditional bookbinding elements, like goatskin leather and custom-dyed papers, with untraditional components like found metal, brass pins and mull - and embellishes her designs with lots of sewing threads. We can`t wait to see what design she will come up with for her novel!
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
@sue.doggett
* BOOKER PRIZE BINDINGS WORK IN PROGRESS FEATURE *
On the 22nd September our six binders found out which of the shortlisted books they were due to bind, but how are they getting on so far?! We are excited to share some work in progress photos that have been sent to us, but we are keeping specific cover design details under wraps until the Awards Ceremony.
Today we have images sent to us by Nicky Oliver who is binding "The End of Everything" by M. John Harrison...
_____
"A slyly satirical and unsettling post-apocalyptic adventure into the limits of human understanding from the acknowledged master of science fiction
Phillip Tennent makes his living at the tideline, collecting artefacts that wash up from the Channel. It’s been years since the crisis changed everything, but its exact nature remains obscured. Government barely functions, the seas are full of new creatures, Europe has been mislaid. It feels like the end.
Now Phillip has fished out of the water an object he can’t keep. A creature that keeps changing. An artefact he must take inland, before it destroys everything he thinks he knows."
_____
Nicky is renowned for an exuberant, contemporary, and highly experimental fine binding style. Her work merges meticulous traditional British craft with techniques drawn from her background in graphic design, illustration, and printmaking. We can`t wait to see what design she will come up with for her novel!
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
@blackfoxbindery
* BOOKER PRIZE BINDINGS WORK IN PROGRESS FEATURE *
On the 22nd September our six binders found out which of the shortlisted books they were due to bind, but how are they getting on so far?! We are excited to share some work in progress photos that have been sent to us, but we are keeping specific cover design details under wraps until the Awards Ceremony.
Today we have images sent to us by Kate Holland who is binding "The Disappearers" by Marlon James...
_____
"A deeply human story of men who must make compromises to survive what the society they live in demands.
In 1988, eight men in Kingston, Jamaica, begin rehearsals for a play. The men are strangers to one another and each has a different reason for being involved. But they all share one inescapable truth: all of them are gay – a ‘batty man’ in Jamaican argot – and all of them must contend with the dangers that such a truth lays bare.
One night a mob savagely attacks them, killing one of the men. For the survivors, their recovery is as much emotional as it is physical: as their bodies heal, each man must grapple with the violence, the hatred, and the rage that the attack made plain. Some try to ignore what the attack has unearthed, while others double down on retribution.
The Disappearers is both a dramatic page-turner and an unflinching exploration of queer life in Jamaica during the 1980s and 1990s."
_____
Kate`s artistic aesthetic is modern, abstract, and bold, and her physical execution relies on centuries-old handcraft techniques. We can`t wait to see what design she will come up with for her novel!
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
@katehollandbook
* BOOKER PRIZE BINDINGS WORK IN PROGRESS FEATURE *
On the 22nd September our six binders found out which of the shortlisted books they were due to bind, but how are they getting on so far?! We are excited to share some work in progress photos that have been sent to us, but we are keeping specific cover design details under wraps until the Awards Ceremony.
Today we have images sent to us by Lori Sauer who is binding "The Things We Never Say" by Elizabeth Strout...
_____
"With exquisite prose and profound insight, Elizabeth Strout captures the way grief reverberates through decades, the comfort found in deep friendships and the freedom that comes when we break free of our secrets
Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He spends his days teaching history to high schoolers, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades, makes small talk with neighbours, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. He is, by all appearances, present and alive. But inside, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad – at himself and the people around him – and turns a question over and over in his mind: how is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us?
And then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it, he is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear – and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence."
_____
Lori`s work is internationally recognised for its masterly fusion of structural innovation, subtle design, and unexpected material choices. We can`t wait to see what design she will come up with for her novel!
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
@lorisauer_beechingstoke
* BOOKER PRIZE BINDINGS WORK IN PROGRESS FEATURE *
On the 22nd September our six binders found out which of the shortlisted books they were due to bind, but how are they getting on so far?! We are excited to share some work in progress photos that have been sent to us, but we are keeping specific cover design details under wraps until the Awards Ceremony.
Today we have images sent to us by Rachel Ward-Sale who is binding "Black Bag" by Luke Kennard...
_____
"A warped campus novel, an investigation into the crisis of masculinity and an off-kilter love story, Black Bag is a firework of a novel: blazingly funny and profoundly humane
A penniless and out-of-work actor picks up a job working for Dr Blend, a university professor who is conducting a psychological experiment. How will Dr Blend’s students react to someone zipped into an oversized bag, sitting at the back of the lecture hall over a series of autumn term lectures?
The role, eagerly accepted, soon has unexpected consequences. A professor of post-humanism develops research questions of her own, in particular can you love someone secreted away inside a black bag? Meanwhile, the actor’s childhood friend and flatmate forms a vision for monetising this new situation…"
_____
Texture, both natural and manufactured, has been a recurring influence on Rachel`s work. Recently she has been concentrating on this element of design, impressing found objects into leather creating unpredictable and tactile results. We can`t wait to see what design Rachel will come up with for her novel!
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
@rachelward_sale
* GOLD LETTERING WITH HAND TOOLS *
We are pleased to announce that the organisers of the Society of Bookbinders and Designer Bookbinders Joint Workshops have arranged a repeat of the "Gold Lettering with Hand Tools" weekend, being taught by Glenn Bartley.
The first weekend took place a few weekends ago and was fully booked with a waiting list, so a new venue in Winchester has been found to rerun the course and it is sure to be popular! There are only four spaces left so if you want a space, be sure to be quick.
TO BOOK:
https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/shop/workshop/gold-lettering-with-hand-tools-session-2/
________
Gold Lettering with Hand Tools
Glenn Bartley
Unit 3b, Winnall Farm Industrial Estate, Easton Lane, Winchester, SO23 0HA
21-22 November 2026
For those with experience of gold tooling techniques, this workshop will explore the process for lettering both traditional and modern bindings with individual hand tools and type holders.
With over forty years experience as a bookbinder, Glenn will share his personal approach to hand lettering – an approach which draws on traditional techniques and incorporates methods better suited to today’s bookbinder.
Working on prepared leather panels and dummy spine blocks, the workshop will concentrate on the various aspects of hand lettering to produce neat and pleasing results. These include the choice of typeface and font size, the principles of layout and spacing, and the considerations of overall design. The different approaches used for traditional versus modern work will also be explored, as well as a look at the various materials that can be tooled successfully. Attention will also be given to developing methodical working practices which are the foundation of successful gold tooling.
This workshop is suitable for those with experience of gold tooling techniques.
Materials charge no more than £35 to cover cost of leather panel and dummy spine and, additionally, students will be able to purchase gold leaf by the sheet if they do not have their own (current price is £2.80 per sheet but actual price is hard to predict).
#designerbookbinders #bookbindingtuition #workofabookbinder #goldtooling #goldleaf
* THE BOOKER PRIZE FAQs *
The Booker Prize FAQs last year were a great hit so we are revisiting them for 2026!
____
Whose idea was it for the shortlisted books to each have a unique binding made to present to the authors?
The idea to bind special copies of the books was Lisa von Clemm’s. Louisa “Lisa” Hunnewell von Clemm was a bookbinder, collector, and philanthropist who was a prominent and influential figure in the bookbinding community. She was known for her long-standing support and encouragement of bookbinding and conservation at institutions in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She and Gail Taylor did bookbinding classes together. Gail’s husband Jonathan Taylor was Chairman and Chief Executive of Booker McConnell.
Angela James used to have to badger the publishers to send her copies of the books in uncut, unsewn sheets, which was always a problem. It was often impossible to convince the production people that the society needed the books in sections and quickly, they could never understand why it would take 5 weeks to bind a book. The paper quality was dreadful, invariably the sheets arrived about a week late and were often already sawn into ready for glueing.
Finally, Angela suggested that the books should be digitally reprinted on a paper of her choosing i.e. acid-free and with the grain direction running head to tail. Angela continues to organise this, deciding how many folios to a section which is not always easy to estimate. This also means that the six binders can have the sheets by the day, or day after, the Shortlist announcement. Angela knows the shortlist in advance, having signed a non-disclosure agreement, so is able to plan all of this in order to maximise on binding time.
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The image here shows David Szalay winning the Booker Prize in 2025 with "Flesh".
@TheBookerPrizes @ReadingAgency
#bookerprize2026 #bookerlibrary #bookbinding #designerbookbinders #workofabookbinder
* BOOKER PRIZE FAQs *
The Booker Prize FAQs last year were a great hit so we are revisiting them for 2026!
As our six binders for this year are working hard behind the scenes to create covers for their allocated novels, the "Frequently Asked Questions" have been compiled to try and help explain how our society became involved with this prestigious award for fiction.
_____________
When did the relationship with Designer Bookbinders and The Booker Prize begin?
Designer Bookbinders began creating unique, handmade editions of Booker Prize-shortlisted books over thirty years ago in 1991. The society creates these bespoke books as gifts for the authors of the shortlisted novels.
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The image here shows a large version of The Booker Prize statuette, officially named Iris, honoring the 1978 Booker Prize-winning novelist Dame Iris Murdoch.
@TheBookerPrizes @ReadingAgency
#bookbinding #workofabookbinder #bookerprize #designerbookbinders #boundbythebest
* BOOKER PRIZE FAQs *
The Booker Prize FAQs last year were a great hit so we are revisiting them for 2026!
As our six binders for this year are working hard behind the scenes to create covers for their allocated novels, the "Frequently Asked Questions" have been compiled to try and help explain how our society became involved with this prestigious award for fiction.
_____________
Where did the Booker Prize get its name from?
The Booker Prize is named after the food distribution company Booker McConnell which sponsored the Prize for many years. It has had several other sponsors since then, but the name remains simply, “The Booker Prize”.
_____________
The image here shows the six bindings made for the shortlisted books in 2025 displayed on their plinths at the Awards Ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London.
@TheBookerPrizes @ReadingAgency
#bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #boundbythebest #bookerprizeforfiction
* DESIGNER BOOKBINDERS/SOCIETY OF BOOKBINDERS JOINT WORKSHOPS *
Due to a cancellation, one space has become available on a joint workshop being held by Designer Bookbinders and the Society of Bookbinders in November. Fellow Hannah Brown (@hannah_brown_bookbinding) will be hosting a weekend workshop in her Somerset studio on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November teaching, "Miniature Case Bindings Made With Weighted Brass Boards and a False Round Spine".
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Miniature books are small, fully functional books, typically defined as being no more than 7.5 cm in any dimension. Issues that arise when working in miniature largely derive from their tiny scale. Miniature books are difficult to make because of; the precision required to handle tiny components; the challenge of binding pages that are too small for standard tools; paper thickness issues that prevent flipping while staying closed; and the difficulty of cutting and aligning minuscule pieces without them moving or fraying.
One other issue is that the bindings can feel insignificantly light which is why swapping conventional laminated boards for pieces of brass sheet can add a satisfying weight to these small books. This weekend workshop will guide you through creating a full leather miniature case binding, constructed to include brass boards and a false round spine. Participants will learn how to construct a leather-bound case, into which sections will be cased in.
This workshop is suitable for binders with some experience and dexterity as we are working on a small scale book structure.
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For more details, and if you wish to book, please visit the Designer Bookbinders workshop at the following link:
https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/shop/workshop/miniature-case-bindings-made-with-weighted-brass-boards-and-a-false-round-spine/
#bookbinding #bookbindingworkshop #designerbookbinders #miniturebookbinding #miniaturecasebinding
* THE DESIGNER BOOKBINDERS UK BOOKBINDING COMPETITION 2027 *
The DB UK Bookbinding Competition was established in 1955 “to encourage students, craftsmen and apprentices of bookbinding to produce originally designed and well bound books and to give them the opportunity to exhibit their technical and artistic skills” but we really want to encourage anyone who loves making books to enter. The only criteria to entry are that you are resident in the UK when the book was bound and that you are not a Fellow of DB.
There are fewer than 30 copies of the set book still available, so head to our website to secure yourself a copy if you wish to enter. All entrants must bind the Set Book and may also enter up to three Open Choice books. The form of the book can be quite loose – design bindings, cloth bindings, paper bindings, artists’ books and book objects are all admissible. We have expanded the prizes to include paper, non-leather, artistic innovation, student and newcomer, as well as prizes for the more traditional fine binding techniques.
The set book for `27 is "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens with illustrations by Sarah Croomer. Introduced by Simon Callow. Published by The Folio Society @foliosociety
"A Christmas Carol is the quintessential festive tale, at once a ghost story, a moral fable and a celebration of the redemptive power of kindness. On a frosty Christmas Eve, cold-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who guide him through shadows of his past, glimpses of a joy-filled present he has long ignored and a chilling vision of what will come if he fails to change his ways. Through satire and sentiment, Dickens depicts the harsh realities of Victorian London and the possibilities of human redemption."
Provisional timeline:
Hand-in deadline: Oct `27
Prize-giving: Nov `27
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(Image credit: Illustrations © Sarah Coomer 2025 from The Folio Society edition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
WEBSITE LINK:
https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/db-uk-bookbinding-competition/
#bookbinding #bookbindingcompetition #designerbookbinders #workofabookbinder #achristmascarol #charlesdickens
| The Designer Bookbinders Newsletter 215 Autumn 2026 |
We hope that most, if not all, members have now received their physical copy of our autumn newsletter through the letterbox?!
This newsletter is packed with updates on how some of our Licentiates are progressing, a review of The Festival Binding exhibition at the National Library of Edinburgh, and a report about a course run by one of our Fellows, Hannah Brown, who taught a large group of students how to create a rounded and backed stub binding earlier in the summer.
There is a call to entry for the dbUK Bookbinding Competition, the set book for 2027 is `A Christmas Carol` by Charles Dickens, with illustrations by Sarah Coomer. It is introduced by Simon Callow and published by The Folio Society. Have you ordered your copy yet? There are a limited number left for sale on our website so you had better be quick if you want to enter...
If you wish to become a member of Designer Bookbinders you will receive four of these newsletters each year (two digital, and two printed) plus a copy of our annual publication, The New Bookbinder. Please see the Designer Bookbinders website for more or PM us for more details.
#bookbinding #designerbookbinders #designerbookbindersnewsletter #workofabookbinder #bookbindingsociety britishbookbinding
* THE BOOKER PRIZE BINDERIES FOR 2026 *
The shortlisted books have now been paired with six Fellows from our society who are undertaking the bindings of them this year! The Fellows have a short window of time in which to create a unique fine binding that will be gifted to the authors at the Awards ceremony on Monday 9th November.
On the run up to this date we thought we`d share some images of the binderies that this will be happening in along with a bit of information about the binders themselves. The six Fellows this year are: Sue Doggett, Kate Holland, Nicky Oliver, Dominic Riley, Lori Sauer: and Rachel Ward-Sale. Each year the participating Fellows are encouraged to submit some preferences of which they might like to work on if these titles make it through to the final round, but no one can be sure what they might end up with - how exciting!
____
We continue with Nicky Oliver today...
"Nicky has over 20 years of experience working as a bookbinder and design binder. She completed studies in Art and Design which led her to studies in Bookbinding at the London College of Printing. She worked at several trade binderies in London before freelancing and establishing Black Fox Bindery in 2009, and became a Fellow of DB in 2016.
Nicky has worked extensively using decorative leather dyeing techniques on various objects including books, furniture and circus trapeze boots. She has lectured worldwide on topics in this area of specialised skill and knowledge.”
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About Nicky`s bindery...
"I have been based at Black Fox Bindery for almost 20 years. The studio is in an old, rundown former Turkish Delight factory in NE London, which is also home to 14 other creatives working in a range of disciplines. We are a motley bunch who support each other and occasionally collaborate.
The studio has south-facing windows, which provide plenty of natural light - particularly useful for the leather dyeing I do. When I am not at my bench designing and binding, the studio becomes a classroom where I run courses and workshops for students wanting to learn and explore the craft of bookbinding.”
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder
@thebookerprizes
@blackfoxbindery
* THE BOOKER PRIZE BINDERIES FOR 2026 *
The shortlisted books have now been paired with six Fellows from our society who are undertaking the bindings of them this year! The Fellows have a short window of time in which to create a unique fine binding that will be gifted to the authors at the Awards ceremony on Monday 9th November.
On the run up to this date we thought we`d share some images of the binderies that this will be happening in along with a bit of information about the binders themselves. The six Fellows this year are: Sue Doggett, Kate Holland, Nicky Oliver, Dominic Riley, Lori Sauer: and Rachel Ward-Sale. Each year the participating Fellows are encouraged to submit some preferences of which they might like to work on if these titles make it through to the final round, but no one can be sure what they might end up with - how exciting!
____
We continue with Sue Doggett today...
"Sue creates hand-made books and bindings. Her creative interests include surface design, women’s history, sewing as drawing, memory, music, myth and the history of magic. Her books are primarily collage-based using text, found images, drawing, print and digital media and her bindings are made using traditional bookbinding techniques combined with messy, fluid mediums and non-traditional materials.
Sue has been commissioning editor of ‘The New Bookbinder’, the international publication of DB, since 2019.”
____
About Sue`s bindery...
"I don`t have a dedicated studio space, wherever I lay my tools, that`s my bench. For me it`s more about what I have around me which supports the creative and practical periods of making a book. Sewing machine, bookshelves and objects for inspiration and boxes of stuff including materials and tools - same as everyone I guess. The only difference is that the tools of my trade secreted all over the house. I can work anywhere as long as I can focus. As you can see from the first image - I wasn`t prepared to start the physically on the Booker yesterday. Today-ta da! I have cleared a space (at least for now, and for this photo).”
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize
@thebookerprizes @sue.doggett
* THE BOOKER PRIZE BINDERIES FOR 2026 *
The shortlisted books have now been paired with six Fellows from our society who are undertaking the bindings of them this year! The Fellows have a short window of time in which to create a unique fine binding that will be gifted to the authors at the Awards ceremony on Monday 9th November.
On the run up to this date we thought we`d share some images of the binderies that this will be happening in along with a bit of information about the binders themselves. The six Fellows this year are: Sue Doggett, Kate Holland, Nicky Oliver, Dominic Riley, Lori Sauer: and Rachel Ward-Sale. Each year the participating Fellows are encouraged to submit some preferences of which they might like to work on if these titles make it through to the final round, but no one can be sure what they might end up with - how exciting!
____
We continue with Lori Sauer today...
"Lori received a degree in Fine Art in the USA followed by an MA in English Literature. After moving to the UK in 1980 she worked in publishing and as a mature student trained with Sally Lou Smith and David Sellars at the City Lit., London, from 1988 – 1991. In 2000 became a Fellow of DB and served as its President from 2015 –19. She teaches widely across the UK and abroad and runs open studio classes in Wiltshire. In 2011 she founded BINDING re:DEFINED, an international programme of workshops focused on the teaching of alternative book structures.”
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About Lori`s bindery...
"My studio was built onto the side of my house in 2018. I designed the space to accommodate work benches, plan chests, and large equipment, much of it sourced from unwanted items that the Bodleian conservation department sold when it moved from its edge of Oxford location back to the Weston Library. I hold classes here and it’s large and roomy, providing generous workstations for 8 people. I reserve one end of the room for myself but while doing something like the Booker binding, I spread over every surface. The large windows overlook surrounding countryside - it’s bliss.”
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
@lorisauer_beechingstoke
* THE BOOKER PRIZE BINDERIES FOR 2026 *
The shortlisted books have now been paired with six Fellows from our society who are undertaking the bindings of them this year! The Fellows have a short window of time in which to create a unique fine binding that will be gifted to the authors at the Awards ceremony on Monday 9th November.
On the run up to this date we thought we`d share some images of the binderies that this will be happening in along with a bit of information about the binders themselves. The six Fellows this year are: Sue Doggett, Kate Holland, Nicky Oliver, Dominic Riley, Lori Sauer: and Rachel Ward-Sale. Each year the participating Fellows are encouraged to submit some preferences of which they might like to work on if these titles make it through to the final round, but no one can be sure what they might end up with - how exciting!
____
We continue with Kate Holland today...
"Kate specialises in contemporary fine bindings to commission or for exhibition. She uses traditional materials and techniques to produce a unique, modern binding that reflects the text, illustrations and typeface of the book. Seeking more control over the complete book, she has also branched out into overseeing all aspects of book production from design and layout, typesetting and printing to binding and boxes and has recently published several limited editions in collaboration with clients and other artists.”
____
About Kate`s bindery...
"My workshop is a converted cowshed in the middle of the Wiltshire countryside and I share the space with studio dogs, Scout and Juno. It’s looking super tidy here right now as I’ve just had students in learning to bind their first full leather bindings. The family home is just across the car park which is a blessing and a curse. It means I’m very close to home but it also means I can never truly shut the door and leave my work behind. Most of the time though I feel immensely at peace in this space especially when I am in the zone creating a binding: my work doesn’t feel like work.”
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
@katehollandbook
* THE BOOKER PRIZE BINDERIES FOR 2026 *
The shortlisted books have now been paired with six Fellows from our society who are undertaking the bindings of them this year! The Fellows have a short window of time in which to create a unique fine binding that will be gifted to the authors at the Awards ceremony on Monday 9th November.
On the run up to this date we thought we`d share some images of the binderies that this will be happening in along with a bit of information about the binders themselves. The six Fellows this year are: Sue Doggett, Kate Holland, Nicky Oliver, Dominic Riley, Lori Sauer: and Rachel Ward-Sale. Each year the participating Fellows are encouraged to submit some preferences of which they might like to work on if these titles make it through to the final round, but no one can be sure what they might end up with - how exciting!
____
We continue with Rachel Ward-Sale today...
"Rachel studied Art, Design and Bookbinding at The University of Brighton. Since leaving college, she has worked as a self-employed bookbinder co-founding Bookbinders of Lewes in 1992.
Although a large proportion of her current work involves the repair and rebinding of old books, her main interest remains centred around the creation of designed fine bindings.
Texture, both natural and manufactured, has been a recurring influence on her work. Recently she has been concentrating on this element of design, impressing found objects into leather creating unpredictable and tactile results.”
____
About Rachel`s bindery...
"My workshop is in a converted brewery in the centre of Lewes which is home to a lively mix of studios and workshops. I have all the heavy machinery in the workshop but I also have a work room at home in a spare bedroom where I can do my creative work without disruptions.”
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #designerbookbinders #bookerprize2026
@thebookerprizes
@rachelward_sale
* THE BOOKER PRIZE BINDERIES FOR 2026 *
The shortlisted books have now been paired with six Fellows from our society who are undertaking the bindings of them this year! The Fellows have a short window of time in which to create a unique fine binding that will be gifted to the authors at the Awards ceremony on Monday 9th November.
On the run up to this date we thought we`d share some images of the binderies that this will be happening in along with a bit of information about the binders themselves. The six Fellows this year are: Sue Doggett, Kate Holland, Nicky Oliver, Dominic Riley, Lori Sauer: and Rachel Ward-Sale. Each year the participating Fellows are encouraged to submit some preferences of which they might like to work on if these titles make it through to the final round, but no one can be sure what they might end up with - how exciting!
____
We are starting with Dominic Riley today...
"Dominic trained at the London College of Printing (1988-90), and spends his time restoring antiquarian books, creating design bindings for exhibitions and to commission, teaching and lecturing. He has made about eighty design bindings to date and won over twenty prizes for his bindings, including first prize – the Paul Getty Award — in Designer Bookbinders’ International Competition in 2013. He spends his summer teaching at the San Francisco Center for the Book. He was elected Fellow of DB in 2009 and was previously President of the SoB.”
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About Dominic`s bindery...
"The studio is in the back garden, and was built by Lancashire Sheds. We levelled the ground and laid the gravel, they did the rest. It is the maximum size allowed without planning permission, and has a vaulted ceiling. It has a central work bench, a window bench and a large island bench for planning and lunch. It has lots of shelving, with a cloth and leather store and two flat files. We can take up to six students. It’s a lovely place to work as it is surrounded by mature trees and bushes.”
#bookerlibrary #bookbinding #workofabookbinder #bookerprize2025 #designerbookbinders #boundbythebest #designbinding #contemporarybinding #uniquebinding #reliure #reliuredart
@thebookerprizes
* THE BOOKER PRIZE SHORTLIST AND BINDER PAIRINGS FOR 2026! *
Yesterday the 2026 shortlist for the Booker Prize, the world’s most significant award for a single work of fiction, was announced. We are excited to be able to announce which binder has been paired with which shortlisted novel this year as follows:
Sue Doggett: "May We Feed the King" by Rebecca Perry
Kate Holland: "The Disappearers" by Marlon James
Nicky Oliver: "The End of Everything" by M.John Harrison
Dominic Riley: "John of John" by Douglas Stuart
Lori Sauer: "The Things We Never Say" by Elizabeth Strout
Rachel Ward-Sale: "Black Bag" by Luke Kennard
"The shortlist of six books has been selected by the 2026 judging panel, chaired by celebrated classicist, writer and broadcaster Mary Beard. Beard is joined by award-winning poet, writer and educator Raymond Antrobus; musician, writer and broadcaster Jarvis Cocker; journalist, editor and critic Rebecca Liu; and Booker Prize-shortlisted novelist, poet and essayist Patricia Lockwood.
Spanning a range of genres – from dystopian fiction to contemporary realism, from campus satire to historical fiction – the shortlisted books explore what it means to be human in an ever-changing world and the communities and events that shape us. Both intimate and epic, personal and political, they provide meditations on familial bonds, identity, shame, love, loneliness, survival and the ultimate unknowability of others. They are moving, pacey, funny, violent, intriguing, horrifying and hopeful."
Over the next six days we will be sharing images of where the six bindings will be being created this year: from paring leather on litho stones through to gold tooling in laying presses, we`ll be sure to keep you updated on how our six Fellows are getting on every step of the way, and what is inspiring them from the novels they have been paired with!
Image © Yuki Sugiura for Booker Prize Foundation
@thebookerprizes
#bookerprize2026 #bookerprize #designerbookbinders #workofabookbinder #boundbythebest
* THE BOOKER PRIZE 2026 *
The Booker Prize is a prestigious £50,000 literary award recognising the best long-form work of fiction written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. Next Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the six shortlisted books for this year will be announced.
Each year, every Booker Prize shortlisted author receives a unique, hand-bound fine binding of their nominated novel created by Fellows from Designer Bookbinders. This year we are pleased to announce the six binders are: Sue Doggett; Kate Holland; Nicky Oliver; Dominic Riley; Lori Sauer and Rachel Ward-Sale.
We are excited to see which books they will all be paired with, and of course where their creative brains will take them to create this year`s wonderful array of Booker Prize bindings.
Stay tuned to find out more, including where our binders will be working on their bindings, how they undertake the research required to come up with a design, the process they take to physically bind their books, plus how they choose what materials to use. All our Fellows have a unique style of binding and we can guarantee that no two books will be alike!
The bindings will be presented to the shortlisted authors at the winner ceremony on November 9th, 2026.
Photographed here are the six bindings from 2025, made by (left to right) Sue Doggett, Hannah Brown, Tom McEwan, Angela James, Stuart Brockman and Glenn Bartley.
@thebookerprizes
#bookerprize2026 #bookerprize #designerbookbinders #workofabookbinder #boundbythebest
* JOINT WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE SPACE *
One space has become available on the sold out "Creating and Using Your Own Bookcloth" workshop that will be taking place from 17-18 Oct 2026.
This is part of the new Joint DB/SoB series which offer a range of topics suitable for different levels of experience and interest and take place over a weekend in venues around the country. Many are in the tutor’s own studio and all tutors are established, experienced teachers. Once again we have managed to keep the fees for this year’s programme at the same level as last year: £185 for members of either Society and £205 for non-members and hope you agree they represent excellent value.
Ruth Brown (@ruthbrown_bookbinding) will teaching this workshop at The Scrapstore in Hull. The weekend will include a combination of demonstrations and practical work. Using her binding of ‘The Secret Garden’ as a design source and her background working with textiles, Ruth will explain how she came up with the concept for the cover and then interpreted it onto fabric.
Students will experiment with screen printing, dyeing and layering a variety of mark making techniques with everyday tools and equipment to create visual texture and patterns on fabric. Ruth will demonstrate how to print on fabric with a cheap, home, inkjet printer and how to back fabric to make book cloth.
This workshop is suitable for all levels and you do not need any artistic skills to do this workshop. If you wish to book the last place, please visit the Designer Bookbinders website here:
https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/shop/workshop/creating-and-using-your-own-bookcloth/
#bookbindingworkshops #learnbookbinding #workofabookbinder #bookbinding #learntomakebooks
| The Designer Bookbinders Newsletter 215 Autumn 2026 |
The heatwaves are over and we are starting to remember what being rained on feels like, it must therefore be the start of autumn and time for another Designer Bookbinders newsletter!
We are pleased to report that the Autumn Newsletter will soon be landing on the doormats of all our members, one of two printed versions members receive each year (the other two being digital).
Stay tuned to hear more about what you will find within this information-packed read, which includes updates on how some of our Licentiates are progressing, a review of The Festival Binding exhibition at the National Library of Edinburgh, and a report about a course run by one of our Fellows, Hannah Brown, who taught a large group of students how to create a rounded and backed stub binding earlier in the summer.
If you wish to become a member of Designer Bookbinders you will receive four of these newsletters each year (two digital, and two printed) plus a copy of our annual publication, The New Bookbinder. Please see the Designer Bookbinders website for more or PM us for more details.
#bookbinding #designerbookbinders #designerbookbindersnewsletter #workofabookbinder #bookbindingsociety #britishbookbinding
* FESTIVAL BINDINGS SPOTLIGHT *
We are over a week into our exhibition, "Festival Bindings" at The National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. Running from 10 to 29 August 2026, the event coincides with the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Edinburgh Book Fair. The exhibition showcases new and recent work crafted by 32 of today`s leading bookbinders, all Fellows and Licentiates of our society. Most of the bindings on display are offered for sale, with a number sold already.
We are pleased to continue with a series of spotlight posts displaying some of the wonderful bindings available to view and purchase at the exhibition. There are only ONE DAY left to visit this exhibition, so if you are in Edinburgh you mustn`t miss out!
Venue: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri/Sat 10-5, Sun Closed
Today we have work by Flora Ginn, Peter Jones, Gillian Stewart, Annette Friedrich and Matt Stokl. (GS photograph by Chris McNulty, AF photograph by Shannon Tofts, all other photographed by the binders).
The online catalogue is now available to view on our website. If you are interested in purchasing any of the books, please contact the binder directly using the "Contact Binder" link on the online catalogue:
https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/designer-bookbinders-at-the-national-library-of-scotland/
@natlibscot
#designerbookbinders #workofabookbinder #contemporarybookbinding #bookbindingexhibition #designbinding
Flora Ginn, Fellow
SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Officina Bodoni, Montagnolo,1925
N.F.S.
Edges gilt on the deckle. Double silk headbands of 33 different colours. Light brown goatskin flyleaves tooled in black. Covered in mid-brown Harmatan goatskin with multi-coloured goatskin onlays. Tooled and lettered in gold leaf and palladium leaf.
The design was based on the text structure of the book which has forty four sonnets, each of forty four verses. The vibrant colours reflect the many flowers Robert Browning picked and gave to her during their courtship and the growing love for her husband.
Peter Jones, Fellow
COUNTRY MATTERS by C
* FESTIVAL BINDINGS SPOTLIGHT *
We are over a week into our exhibition, "Festival Bindings" at The National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. Running from 10 to 29 August 2026, the event coincides with the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Edinburgh Book Fair. The exhibition showcases new and recent work crafted by 32 of today`s leading bookbinders, all Fellows and Licentiates of our society. Most of the bindings on display are offered for sale, with a number sold already.
We are pleased to continue with a series of spotlight posts displaying some of the wonderful bindings available to view and purchase at the exhibition. There are only four days left to visit this exhibition, so if you are in Edinburgh you mustn`t miss out!
Venue: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri/Sat 10-5, Sun Closed
Today we have work by Angela James, Mark Cockram, Lori Sauer, Kate Rochetser and Tom McEwan. Photographs all by Chris McNulty, apart from images of Kate Rochester`s book which were taken by herself.
The online catalogue is now available to view on our website. If you are interested in purchasing any of the books, please contact the binder directly using the "Contact Binder" link on the online catalogue:
https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/designer-bookbinders-at-the-national-library-of-scotland/
@natlibscot
#designerbookbinders #workofabookbinder #contemporarybookbinding #bookbindingexhibition #designbinding
Angela James, Fellow
103 NOT OUT by Brian Webb
The Fleece Press, 2022
Price: £1,200
A slightly larger than miniature binding. Sewn on linen tapes. Flyleaves designed and printed by binder. Full black goatskin with onlays of hand-dyed calf and white goatskin. Lettered in gold on spine. Doublures of dyed orange goatskin.
Container to look like an envelope, covered in grey Holland linen with lettering label like a postage stamp. Lined with orange suede. Numerous examples of David Gentleman’s 103 stamps designed for Royal Mail.
Mark Cockram, Fellow (@markbookartist)
FETISH DIPTYCH by Mark Cockram
Studio 5 Book Arts, 2026
Price: £600
Hinged rembroitage boards wi
* WALK AROUND THE FESTIVAL BINDINGS EXHIBITION WITH US! *
The "Festival Bindings" exhibition showcases new and recent work crafted by 32 of today`s leading bookbinders, all Fellows and Licentiates of our society. Most of the bindings on display are offered for sale, with an increasing number sold already. Running from 10 to 29 August 2026, the event coincides with the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Edinburgh Book Fair.
Venue: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri/Sat 10-5, Sun Closed
The online catalogue is now available to view on our website. If you are interested in purchasing any of the books, please contact the binder directly using the "Contact Binder" link on the online catalogue:
https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/designer-bookbinders-at-the-national-library-of-scotland/
@natlibscot
#designerbookbinders #workofabookbinder #contemporarybookbinding #bookbindingexhibition #designbinding
* FESTIVAL BINDINGS SPOTLIGHT *
We are over a week into our exhibition, "Festival Bindings" at The National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. Running from 10 to 29 August 2026, the event coincides with the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Edinburgh Book Fair. The exhibition showcases new and recent work crafted by 32 of today`s leading bookbinders, all Fellows and Licentiates of our society. Most of the bindings on display are offered for sale, with a number sold already.
We are pleased to continue with a series of spotlight posts displaying some of the wonderful bindings available to view and purchase at the exhibition. There are only five days left to visit this exhibition, so if you are in Edinburgh you mustn`t miss out!
Venue: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri/Sat 10-5, Sun Closed
Today we have work by Glenn Malkin, Lori Sauer, Kate Holland, Ruta Prusinskaite and Miranda Kemp. Photographs by Chris McNulty.
The online catalogue is now available to view on our website. If you are interested in purchasing any of the books, please contact the binder directly using the "Contact Binder" link on the online catalogue:
https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/designer-bookbinders-at-the-national-library-of-scotland/
@natlibscot
#designerbookbinders #workofabookbinder #contemporarybookbinding #bookbindingexhibition #designbinding
Glenn Malkin, Fellow (@malkinglenn)
THE WINTER`S TALE by William Shakespeare
Limited Editions club, New York, 1940
Price: £1,950
Bound in goatskin, lightly airbrushed and with raised slits on the front and back boards, with crimson silk in each slit. Gold-tooled frame on each board. Title tooled in gold on spine. Red leather doublures. Lokta flyleaves. Hand-sewn silk headbands. Top edge polished and sprinkled with red ink and gold leaf. Housed in a wooden box, lined with suede. Tooled leather panel on the lid.
Lori Sauer, Fellow (@lorisauer_beechingstoke)
AN ACROBATIC ALPHABET Illustrated by Barbara Crow
The Whittington Press, 1986
Price: £2,160
3-piece binding with double concertina spine; paste paper covers by binder decorated
The "Festival Bindings" exhibition continues at the National Library of Scotland until Saturday!
If you are in Edinburgh we`d love to see you. The exhibition showcases new and recent work crafted by 32 of today`s leading bookbinders, all Fellows and Licentiates of our society. Most of the bindings on display are offered for sale, with an increasing number sold already. Running from 10 to 29 August 2026, the event coincides with the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Edinburgh Book Fair.
Venue: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri/Sat 10-5, Sun Closed
The online catalogue is now available to view on our website. If you are interested in purchasing any of the books, please contact the binder directly using the "Contact Binder" link on the online catalogue:
https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/designer-bookbinders-at-the-national-library-of-scotland/
@natlibscot
#designerbookbinders #workofabookbinder #contemporarybookbinding #bookbindingexhibition #designbinding
