BOOKBINDING

Numbers are strictly limited to a maximum of 8 so please book early.
(Prices and deposit payment options can be found at the foot of this page.)



2020

MAY - Thurs. 7th - Sun. 10th (3 days) - The Drop-back Box
(Limited availability - please check) Cancelled

JUNE - Thurs. 4th - Sun. 7th (3 days) - Bookbinding Beginners - The Basics (Waiting list only) Cancelled

JULY - Thurs. 30th - Sun. 2nd August (3 days) - Decorative Elements for Design Bindings
(Waiting list only) Cancelled

OCTOBER - Thurs. 1st - Sun. 4th (3 days) - Book Repair
(Waiting list only - please check) Cancelled

OCTOBER - Thurs. 22nd - Sun. 25th (3 days) - Aspects of Design Binding (Part 1)
(Waiting list only) Cancelled


(arrival 5-6pm, departure 4-5pm)


Some of our courses get booked up quickly but if you have a particular interest,
please do email us so that we can send you early details of next year's courses.


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We have a range of bookbinding courses at the Grange. If you are completely new to bookbinding, and want to start at the beginning with a view to becoming accomplished, we recommend that you learn the basic skills of making a case-bound book with our beginners’ course. Thereafter, there are lots of ways of adding to those skills and you can choose from one of the themed courses. We have asterisked * the courses which can be attended by beginners.






MAY 2020


The Drop-back Box - Beyond the Ordinary*

(with Glenn Malkin)

Thursday 7th - Sunday 10th May (3 days)




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Whether for protection or decoration, making a box for a valued book is an important part of a bookbinder's work. In this workshop you will make a drop-back (or clamshell) box for your own chosen book. This box will be of competition quality, using a choice of book cloths for the covering and lined with suede panels. Although you can choose elements of your box’s design, the front and spine will have recessed panels for a label or decorative panels and we will explore some simple decorative tooling. This workshop requires precision and delicacy in measurement and cutting by hand but you do not need to have bookbinding experience to attend.

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'Just a thank you for a splendid weekend. The course was terrific, and Glenn is a superb tutor.
I had such an enjoyable time . . . Thank you also for the amazing, delicious and healthy food.
What a good bunch of people you are.'





JUNE 2020

Bookbinding for Beginners*

(with Alan Fitch)

Thursday 4th - Sunday 7th June (3 days)


Cased bookbinding


An ideal starting point if you’ve never done any bookbinding before or only dabbled in it. Whatever you choose to go on and specialise in, or if you just want to work towards repairing your own books, a basic grounding in the traditional skills of bookbinding will be invaluable. This course provides you with an introduction to the tools and techniques of bookbinding and will enable you to produce, by the end of the three days, three case-bound books - a single section, a perfect bound and a multi section round and backed book. You will learn about bookbinding materials, the correct use of bookbinding tools and the technical processes of bookbinding, including sewing, attaching endpapers, glueing, trimming, rounding and backing, case-making and casing-in.




JULY 2020

Decorative Elements for Design Bindings (Waiting list only)

(with Glenn Malkin)

Thursday 30th July - Sunday 2nd August (3 days)


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In this workshop you will focus on a selection of decorative techniques by preparing a number of small leather panels which can be inlaid into recessed boards. The techniques to be explored in some depth will include cold tooled leather with gold leaf, scarf joints in leather, recessed leather lines and back-pared onlays. You will then have the opportunity to create your own unique decorative panels, combining these (and other) techniques in whatever way you wish. Some basic experience of working with bookbinding leather would be advantageous.





OCTOBER 2020

Book Repair

(with Alan Fitch)

Thursday 1st - Sunday 4th October (3 days)


Binding repair


The course is designed to cater for the person who has some basic skills in bookbinding but would like to develop and expand these into the repair and restoration of worn and tired cloth bound books. Items covered will include pulling a book (taking it apart), paper repair, re-backing, repairing and cleaning the old cover. Each student will be asked to bring along five or six books that need repairing. Not all will be attempted, but all will be discussed and looked at and then, depending on the amount of repair work to be done, it is hoped that at least three or four will be completed in the three days.



OCTOBER 2020

Aspects of Design Binding (Part 1)

(with Glenn Malkin)

Thursday 22nd - Sunday 25th October (3 days)


A 3-day course for confident and competent binders.


Rounded and backed medium



The creation of a competition-level design binding requires precision and patience along with an understanding of the technical requirements of fine bookbinding. We will discuss design ideas for participants’ chosen books and consider structures and materials. Examples of design bindings will be examined and critiqued. In this workshop we shall then look in detail at forwarding – the foundation of any quality binding. Starting with a pulled book, we shall consider endpaper construction, approaches to text block sewing and trimming, accurate rounding and backing, edge decoration techniques, hand-sewn and alternative end bands, spine linings and board shaping and attachment.

This workshop is suitable for those who have previously bound books in a traditional style and who are confident in the use of basic bookbinding tools and techniques. Attention to detail and a critical eye are important qualities to create a design binding. (Some preparatory work will be needed and details will be provided on request or on booking.)


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Part 2 of this workshop - a separate course for booking and payment purposes - will take place in May 2021. This will be an opportunity for participants to progress their binding into the design creation, covering and finishing stage. Since everyone’s design will be different this will be more of an individual project approach with support, ideas and advice given as required, but with the group gaining inspiration and learning from each other too. The requirement for a quality presentation box will also be discussed. (Participants on this course will need to pre-order high quality leather skins through us - with prices ranging from £75 - £95 - and this will be added to the price of the 2021 course. Alternatively, they can bring their own pre-thinned leather.)

Participants will be encouraged to enter their finished binding into a suitable UK bookbinding competition to display their work Those who commit to doing so will have e-mail mentoring available to them from Glenn until the completion of their binding following the workshops.

(Part 2 is primarily for those who have completed Part 1 of Aspects of Design Binding, but other students who have a quality book, correctly forwarded with hand-sewn end bands, decorated edges and with boards and spine linings attached may be considered at the discretion of the tutor.)



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Tools, Equipment & Work Space for All Courses


Tools and equipment will be provided, although there will be additional materials charges of up to £30 (up to £95 for leather in the second part of the Aspects of Design Binding course in 2021), depending on the course. (We can supply a list of suppliers for those who wish to buy tools afterwards. Some of these are given on our
Links page.) Please bring an apron.

The courses will be held in our recently restored and refurbished teaching bindery with individual workstations.

To see some photos of the bindery and work in action on previous courses held at the Grange, you may like to visit our Blog pages.





For 3-day courses in 2020:
Residential (single with en-suite bathroom) - £499
Sharing (or in single room without bathroom) - £440
Non residential £390
(to include Thursday evening meal and lunches each day)

An additional materials charge of up to £30 may be applied to these courses (significantly more for Part 2 of Aspects of Design Binding in 2021).


Prices include tuition, all meals and accommodation.

Bookbinding
If you would like further information about our secure payment system, please see our booking and payments pages. Deposits can be paid online to reserve your place, although please be aware that as places are strictly limited (and online bookings are not monitored 24/7, your booking is not confirmed until we have confirmed it by email. Should you make a booking for a course that has reached its maximum number we will advise and, of course, make a refund of a deposit if there are no other courses that are of interest.)