Try it out: bookbinding
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What is the course about?
The course is a taster session on the craft of hand bookbinding. It is ideal for anyone who would like to know more about this area and/or who might be thinking of enrolling on one of the longer courses at City Lit.
What will we cover?
You will be introduced to some of the materials, equipment and techniques of bookbinding. We will fold, cut and sew paper to make a single section pamphlet, use cloth and decorative paper to make a cover and put the two together to make an attractive notebook. There will be a chance to talk about suppliers, books, courses at City Lit, and to hear a little about contemporary practice.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Identify grain direction in paper
- Recognise and correctly use basic bookbinding tools and materials
- Make a single section binding using pamphlet stitch.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is for those with little or no experience or knowledge of hand bookbinding.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and
safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to use numbers and be
able to do simple measurements and calculations.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
All work will be undertaken during the session. You will be taught by demonstration, discussion, visual aids, practical tasks and individual support and guidance from the tutor.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
All tools and equipment will be provided for you and all materials are provided and included in the course fee.
Please bring a sharp pencil and notebook. You may like to bring an apron to protect your clothes.
Need art supplies? Our partner London Graphic Centre has everything you need from pencils to printing services, at 15% off.
To get an LGC discount card, students will need to show proof/ confirmation of enrolment of them being a student at City Lit. You can apply for our card in-store or by simply emailing info@londongraphics.co.uk with a scan or photo of relevant confirmation. The student discount does not apply to products that are already discounted or on offer. More information can be found here- https://www.londongraphics.co.uk/student-discounts/.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
On completion of this day you could join a longer general bookbinding course or a short course on a different bookbinding technique or structure.
VD355 Bookbinding: weekend notebooks and folders
VD438 Print, Design and Bind: A book in a week
VD190 City Lit Bookbinding (2022 - 2023)
VD284 Beginners’ bookbinding
Please check the City lit website for other courses of interest.
Sue Doggett is an artist who creates hand-made books and bindings. She gained a first class honours degree in Visual Studies and Art History from Oxford Brookes University in 1985 and an MA in Design from Brighton University in 1998. She received the World Craft Council Award for Contemporary Craft in 1994 and was elected a Fellow of Designer Bookbinders in 1996. She has lectured and led workshops in book arts in the UK, Europe and the USA and is currently teaching on the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course at Camberwell College of Arts and is a bookbinding and book arts tutor at City Lit. As an exhibiting Fellow of Designer Bookbinders, Sue works to public and private commission including the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and she is the current editor of ‘The New Bookbinder’ journal. Her work is represented in public and private collections in Europe and USA and can be seen at the Hyman Kreitman Research Library, Tate Britain; The Folger Library, Washington DC; Yale University Library, The Bodleian Library, Oxford; The Centre for Fine Print Research, Bristol and Manchester Metropolitan Museum.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.