How did you begin bookbinding, and what drew you to it as an art form? 

It all stems from a fascination with and interest in books since childhood, which quickly developed into an obsessive collecting habit as an adult. My professional background has always been in visual art, so design binding was the perfect way to combine both interests.

Bookbinders are allocated their Booker Prize shortlisted book at random. How do you approach the process – were you familiar with the author, Paul Lynch? Which elements served as inspiration?

No, I wasn’t familiar with Paul Lynch’s work but was very glad to be introduced to it through this commission. I did study the longlist titles and even at that point was intrigued by what I read about Prophet Song, particularly its dark, dystopian nature.

How did you approach the design for Prophet Song, and was there anything that made the process for this particular book and assignment unique, or challenging? How does it differ from normal assignments?

As with all design bindings I work on, I first read the book, taking notes and sketching out initial design concepts. There then follows one or more cycles of selection and refinement until a final working drawing emerges. With Prophet Song, this process was completed quite quickly.  

The biggest challenge in working on a Booker Prize binding is the time restraint with the working ‘window’ starting when the shortlist is published and ending a week or so prior to the winner being announced. Decisions have to be made promptly with minimum deliberation. The tight deadline, however, helps to provide focus and is a challenge I enjoy though it can, of course, generate stress and tension.

There are six individual bookbinders who work on binding the shortlisted books each prize year. Did you liaise with any of the others during the process to discuss approach? Is there a friendly rivalry between you all?

Design bookbinding is a rather solitary occupation and I certainly work in complete isolation. That being said, I always look forward to seeing how the other binders have approached their work and often have discussions with them on technique, interpretation and execution.

Why do you think physical books, and particularly traditionally bound books, still hold such appeal to readers? 

There is simply no substitute for the experience of holding and reading a well-bound book! 

How did you begin bookbinding, and what drew you to it as an art form? 

My background is in visual art, educationally and vocationally. Creative pursuits are difficult to bring in income so I worked in other areas, mainly publishing. Eventually, I wanted to return to making and when I overheard someone mention bookbinding my ears perked up. It was completely unknown to me as an occupation, so I enrolled in some adult education courses in London and that was it.

Bookbinders are allocated their Booker Prize shortlisted book at random. How do you approach the process - were you familiar with Paul Harding’s book or the other titles beforehand? Which elements served as inspiration? 

I read a synopsis of each of the longlisted titles and pick one or two that appeal to me in subject matter and then read them ahead of the announcement of the shortlist, hedging my bets that my favourite will be shortlisted. I think this is my seventh Booker binding and I’ve picked correctly every time (as we are able to give our preference for which book we’d like to bind). This year the novel at the top of my list did not make the shortlist, much to my surprise, but the next did.

It’s not possible to design and bind if the book hasn’t been read – this is crucial to create a piece that is empathetic with the story and reflects the overall themes of the novel.

What appealed to me about This Other Eden is its setting, the elements, the history and lifestyle of the characters and especially the amazingly beautiful long sentences that are so visually descriptive. The prose is a knockout.

How did you approach binding This Other Eden, and was there anything that made the process for this particular book and assignment unique, or challenging? How does it differ from normal assignments?

I read the book, think about its ‘colours’, and do a little research about the author. I have a strong interest in the mechanics of the book – how it handles and opens (I always want a book to open as flat as possible) and that the structure contributes to the overall impact of the finished work – it’s part of the design. This time I chose the structure based around two ideas: the multiracial community of characters and the fact that Paul Harding said he wrote most of the novel on Post-it notes. The visual element has come about very organically, working directly onto the boards of the book with mixed media.

The only real difference between this and other commissions is the time frame. It’s the only time I have to work to a deadline so decisions have to happen quicker, something that throws up interesting solutions.

There are six individual binders who work on the shortlisted books each prize year. Did you liaise with any of the other designers during the process to discuss approach? Is there a friendly rivalry between you all?

I don’t believe any of the binders liaise with one another. I never have, we just get on with it. Of course, we all have our own opinions about other work but I don’t see this as rivalry. Perhaps it’s the same as what the authors think about their fellow nominees? We are all very aware that we are in a privileged position to be able to have this commission and always give our best efforts.

Why do you think physical books, and particularly traditionally bound books, still hold such appeal to readers?  

The smell, sound and feel.

How did you begin bookbinding, and what drew you to it as an art form? 

I completed a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College, after which I trained as a bookbinder with my father. I have been surrounded by books and bookbinding all my life. A lot of the day-to-day work I do is repair work. Coming from an engineering background I am particularly fascinated by the structural side of bindings – this can also be seen in my style of designer bindings, which can often be quite geometric. 

Bookbinders are allocated their shortlisted book at random. How do you approach the process – were you familiar with Chetna Maroo? Which elements served as inspiration? 

I wasn’t familiar with the author at all. My approach is the same as with any modern fine binding – I read the book, paying particular attention to imagery and colours. In Western Lane, I found there to be lots of inspiration for a design, including the physical squash court itself and the many evocative descriptions using colour.

How did you approach binding Western Lane, and was there anything that made the process for this particular book and assignment unique, or challenging? How does it differ from normal assignments?  

It differs from other assignments, as there really is no time to mull. Often with other commissions, it will take many months once receiving the book to start forming ideas. With the Booker, there simply isn’t the luxury of time, so the book needs to be read and then a design has to form fairly quickly afterwards. As the style of binding depends on the structure I choose, the design needs to be fully developed prior to starting the binding. 

There are six individual binders who work on the shortlisted books each prize year. Did you liaise with any of the other designers during the process to discuss approach? Is there a friendly rivalry between you all?

Any communication between the six binders would be very casual with no formal liaison, so generally we work in isolation on the Booker Prize. I always find it fascinating to see the variety of bindings that are produced for the six bindings. I would always hope that it showcases the talents, skills and depth of British bookbinding.

Why do you think physical books, and particularly traditionally bound books, still hold such appeal to readers?  

People like the tangible physicality of a book – this will never change. Many people appreciate craft skills and quality, and I would like to think that Designer Bookbinders do their best to promote the high standards associated with British bookbinding all over the world.

How did you begin bookbinding, and what drew you to it as an art form?  

Whilst studying graphics and illustration at university, I had the opportunity to study several different disciplines: desktop publishing, paper engineering, various printing techniques and bookbinding. The latter ignited something within me and I knew that this was something that I wanted to pursue. At first, I approached bookbinding solely as a craft; leaving my art background behind. The idea and practice of bookbinding as an art form came a few years later. 

Bookbinders are allocated their Booker Prize shortlisted book at random. How do you approach the process – were you familiar with Paul Murray, or the other titles beforehand? Which elements served as inspiration?

As soon as the longlist has been announced, I study the titles. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to read all of them, but I get a flavour of each book from the synopses from the Booker Prizes website. I make a note of my favourites and then I wait.

Luckily, Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting was at the top of my list. I’m not familiar with his previous work, which meant that I could approach the text with no particular expectations. 

I always read the book I’m binding (where possible). I like to think that I am embarking on a collaboration of sorts, allowing the rhythm and voice or voices of the text to create the imagery. I got lucky; Paul Murray’s writing gave me a lot to work with. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the book but it was very inspiring. 

How did you approach binding The Bee Sting, and was there anything that made the process for this particular book and assignment unique, or challenging? How does it differ from normal assignments? 

Each binder receives their reading and binding copies only once the shortlist has been released so the ‘unique’ and ‘challenging’ aspect is the time frame we get to read, design and execute the piece before the big night. The binding copy arrives in flat sheets, so the pages need to be, folded, collated and pressed before reading commences.

I usually have a sketchbook and a Post-it notepad by my side whilst I’m reading, scribbling down ideas as I read and marking off the pages so that it is easy to refer to later. For a Booker Prize binding, there isn’t a lot of time to explore ideas, you generally have to run with the first idea you get. 

There are six individual binders who work on shortlisted books each prize year. Did you liaise with any of the other designers during the process to discuss approach? Is there a friendly rivalry between you all? 

Occasionally there may be a bit of communication; the sharing of progress shots, newbies seeking advice from the Booker Prize binder veterans, that sort of thing. I don’t think that there’s any rivalry, since it isn’t a competition between the binders. We only want to produce bindings that will honour the text, please the author and collectively create an amazing mini-exhibition for the big night.

Why do you think physical books, and particularly traditionally bound books, still hold such appeal to readers?   

I believe that physical books ignite our senses. I’m not against electronic books, they have their place, but the feel and sound of the pages, the smell of a book, whether it is old or new, is something quite special and would be difficult to replicate. A book which has been traditionally bound; the skill and craftsmanship involved make it even more special, almost magical. 

How did you begin bookbinding, and what drew you to it as an art form? 

Back in the late 70s my father and stepmother had a shop in Lincoln, called Frippery. They dealt in antiquarian and pre-owned books and vintage clothing. So from an early age, I was aware of the book, the printing, illustrations etc. But as an art form? Well, in hindsight the seed was sewn in October 1980. It so happened that Designer Bookbinders were having an exhibition in the Usher Gallery, Lincoln, the curator of the Usher asked if they could borrow some illustrated books. At a loose end, I was 16 at the time, I decided to see the exhibition. I cannot remember my precise feeling but from then on I understood that there was more to the book than I had realised.  

Bookbinders are allocated their Booker Prize shortlisted book at random. How do you approach the process? Which elements served as inspiration?  

The Booker Prize is one of those special events for the Fellows of Designer Bookbinders. Perhaps it is the fact that the binders meet the authors [at the winner ceremony] – no pressure! Though I am aware of the Booker longlist, I tend not to get too involved with it. I try not to have any preconceptions or thoughts about which book I would like to bind. Once the shortlist is out, I receive a reading copy, this year was If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery. This I read and read again and again. Much as a landscape artist takes inspiration from their surroundings, manipulating their palette and view to capture and interpret what is important, I seek to do the same from the page, with inspiration for the design coming from either a line of text, a phrase or word. 

How did you approach the task, and was there anything that made the process for this particular book and assignment unique, or challenging? How does it differ from normal assignments? 

Normally it can take months to make one design binding. My approach is to live with the book, to read, research and muse over. I tend to work things out in my sketchbook and am often to be found scribbling away. I’m sure the casual observer would be under the impression that the seemingly random squiggles are the work of some deranged cryptographer. However, from those squiggles, a design begins to take shape – sometimes instinctive, sometimes deliberate or a combination of both. From the pages of the sketchbook, I move to the workbench, a maquette or a series of maquettes are made to explore material use, the function of the numerous elements of the construction and application of various decorative techniques to achieve the desired aesthetic. It is only then that I start work on the design binding. 

Of course, the timeline for the Booker Prize is condensed, what would normally take weeks has to take days. Perhaps more instinctive in approach, dipping into my palette of techniques and methods, I still live with the book, reading and re-reading, constantly working in my sketchbook. 

The finished binding is in palimpsest parchment with tooling, hand-dyeing and under-image work to realise the finished design. Under the cracked hard black lines that form a stylised maze, images of a tourist information poster, lobster pots, the former Prime Minister of Jamaica and others can be partially seen through the parchment. The splash hand-dying gives us the idea of colourful flowers, the Caribbean Sea and blood. For If I Survive You, the lobster cages, political violence, hurricanes, race and family divides are linked in eight short stories that bounce from the humorous and quirky through to the imperfect and tragedy of life and family. 

There are six individual bookbinders who work on the shortlisted books each prize year. Did you liaise with any of the other designers during the process to discuss approach? Is there a friendly rivalry between you all? 

Each Fellows’ approach to the shortlisted book is different, I cannot speak for the other binders as I tend to work alone. However, having taught bookbinding and book arts for 20 years plus, it is not uncommon for a former student to become a Fellow and be selected for the Booker Prize shortlisted books. Occasionally I am asked for an opinion, whether it is about a material I might have, for example, a shark, frog or fish skin, egg shells or a particular type of leather etc. I am always pleased to see past students producing unique and beautiful work, and each binder brings their own personal touch to the design binding of the Booker Prize. 

Friendly rivalry? We do look at each other’s work at the ceremony and briefly talk about techniques and design. I say briefly because, at the ceremony dinner, we sat at the table of the author of the shortlisted book we were given. I’m not aware of any rivalry, friendly or otherwise, but it is nice to have bound the winning book. The six design bindings are then presented to the authors. 

Why do you think physical books, and particularly traditionally bound books, still hold such appeal to readers? 

The book, in one form or another, has been part of our existence for thousands of years. Historical, regional and cultural variations along with the history and use of mark making along with the diversity of materials used in the production of books, reflect the drive and progress of humankind. The book has taken us to distant places, the then, now and what could be. The book is a vehicle for our imagination, ideas, education, excitement and so many more possibilities. 

Of course, I am aware of other formats where the words of an author can be read but for me, the allure of the traditionally made book is magical. Once in the hand, the tactile qualities of the book are transmitted creating a sense of object-form. The function of opening the cover, turning the page becomes an extension of the process of the book. We are close to the page, we see and feel the type, the illustrations and the paper. The book is what we make of it, and how we interact with the book depends on how we choose to define what the book is, or could be.  

How did you begin bookbinding, and what drew you to it as an art form?  

I was lucky to be at Oxford Brookes University when Ivor Robinson and David Sellars were teaching on the Bookworks modules which were part of the Visual Studies BA programme. I was excited, entranced and beguiled by the fact I could be creative and make something practical at the same time. I still feel the same way nearly forty years later and am lucky in this – although it has sometimes been a love/hate relationship! 

Bookbinders are allocated their Booker Prize shortlisted book at random. How do you approach the process – were you familiar with Sarah Bernstein’s book or the other titles beforehand? Which elements served as inspiration?  

I always really enjoy not knowing which book I am going to get – that’s part of the attraction of doing the commission. It is a challenge as the timeframe is quite short for this kind of work and so you have to read and absorb, then translate what you have absorbed into some kind of response that says something about your experience of reading the book. I wasn’t familiar with Sarah’s work beforehand and so read the book with a completely open mind. In fact, I read it once very quickly, then again more slowly, picking up on things that I missed the first time round. Then I listened to an audio version with Sarah herself reading which gave me a slightly different perspective on the novel – it was very interesting. I can’t really say exactly which elements of the novel served as inspiration because it is difficult to pin down – if I had to pick tangible things that I have included in the design I would say ‘somewhere up North’, ‘talismans’, ‘townspeople’ and ‘landscape’ but there is a deeper and more profound theme in the novel that I want to reference but haven’t fully visualised yet so I’m keeping that in my mind at the moment. 

How did you approach binding Study for Obedience, and was there anything that made the process for this particular book and assignment unique, or challenging? How does it differ from normal assignments? 

I started as I usually do by reading (see above) and making notes. I then go through and look for overarching themes or ideas that have affected me in the reading and I try to imagine what they might look like. This novel was challenging as the feelings I experienced whilst reading were big, emotional and profound things and they kept changing, so were more difficult to visualise. Although there were plenty of ‘things’ to latch on to as design possibilities, the thoughts of the narrator as they are speaking (to us or to themselves) are so complex and internal that to apply any kind of visual ‘design’ seemed wrong in a way. However, I hope I have come up with a binding that will demonstrate something of what I felt about the novel and elements which seemed to be important in what led up to the ‘denouement’ if you like. 

There are six individual bookbinders who work on binding the shortlisted books each prize year. Did you liaise with any of the other bookbinders during the process to discuss approach? Is there a friendly rivalry between you all? 

I don’t know about any of the other binders but once I get my book it’s heads down and I don’t really surface until it’s done – apart from doing the other day job. In my experience, there isn’t really time for any interaction until we all turn up at the ‘do.’ It’s here we get to see each other and compare experiences and then look at each other’s books which is always a pleasure after the intensity of the binding process. 

Why do you think physical books, and particularly traditionally bound books, still hold such appeal to readers?   

I’m not sure how many readers get to handle the kinds of books we make, sadly, but I do think that physical books offer a very different experience to reading on an electronic device. Having said that, this year I have read Study for Obedience in book form on my own in my house, I’ve read it on my phone and I’ve listened to it via my earbuds on the train. Each one of these ways of experiencing the novel has been different and comes with its own set of pros and cons. The physical book will always be my first choice because I can only properly read a physical book at home and am therefore in a less distracting environment – plus, you can more easily write notes in it!