The 7th Biennial Bristol Artist’s Book Event (BABE) at Arnolfini

Held at the Arnolfini over the last weekend of March 2019, BABE hosted 103 national and international exhibitors and 13,000 visitors who came to Bristol from all over the UK, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Poland and Sweden for this biennial showcase of artists’ books. BABE is curated by Sarah Bodman and Tom Sowden in collaboration with Arnolfini.

Since 2007, BABE has established a great reputation as a relaxed and friendly event to meet and talk to book artists about their work and buy works of art.

Exhibitors in 2019: AB Press | ABC @ UWE | Alex Czinczel – The Chinchilla | AM Bruno | Ambeck Design | Anna Yevtukh | Antic Ham | Artistsbooksonline | Atlas Press | Bath School of Art and Design | Battenburg Press | Beki Wills | Bookartbookshop | Café Royal Books | Caroline Barker | Caroline Penn | Carolyn Trant – Parvenu Press | Catherine Ade | Cathey Webb | Ciarraí Samson | Clare Rogers | CNG group (Anna Lindgren, Bertine Knudsen, Birgit Dalum, Bodil Rosenberg, Pia Fonnesbech, Susanne Helweg) | Codex Polaris (Imi Maufe) | Colin Sackett – Uniformbooks | Container Press – UCA Canterbury | Corinne Welch | David Armes – Red Plate Press | The Department of Small Works | Design for Today | Double Daggers | Eccentric Horace | Ed Boxall – The Pearbox Press | Egidija & George | Eileen White | Ensixteen Editions | Esther McManus | Eva Hejdström | Gavin Watkins | Gemma Lacey | Gen Harrison – Typochondriacs | Gloria Glitzer | Graphic Design UWE Bristol | Guy Bigland | Heather Prescott – hrpress | Helen Douglas – Weproductions | HG Makes | Impact Press | Iro Tsavala | Jane Cradock-Watson | Jane Glennie – Peculiarity Press | Janet Allsebrook | Jeremy Dixon – Hazard Press | Jo Reed Turner | Joan Ainley | Joanna Wilkinson | John Barrett | Julie Johnstone – Essence Press | Karen Joyce | Karoline Rerrie | Kate Bernstein | Katherine Anteney & Simon Griggs – Double Butted | Less Than 500 Press | Library of Re-Claimed Books | Lina Nordenström – GG Print Studio | Linda Parr | Lion and Lamb Press / UCA Farnham Illustration | Liver & Lights Scriptorium | London Centre for Book Arts | MA Book Arts Camberwell College of Art | Mandy Brannan | Mark Pawson – Disinfotainment | Mark Rutter – Tatlin Books | Megan Adie – Aviary Press | Mick Welbourn | Micro Library Books | Mike Clements | Molly Lemon | Mostly Flat | Mr Smith | Old Bear Press | Otto | Pat Hodson | Peter Chasseaud – Altazimuth Press / Tom Paine Printing Press | Peter Rapp | Plymouth University Illustration | Pressing Matters magazine | Pylon Press – BA Illustration Plymouth College of Art | Rachel Marsh – Semple Press | Rebecca Weeks Art | Redfoxpress | Rosie Sherwood – As Yet Untitled | Ryan Gajda | Sophie Cunningham-Dawe – Flatten Press | Stephanie Turnbull | Stroud Artist Books | University of Worcester BA Illustration | UWE Bristol BA Illustration | Wantsum Editions | Whnic Press.

Many thanks to all the artists, writers, performers who contributed to the programme of events, talks, and worshops over the weekend:

BABE 2019 Jukebox by Stephen Fowler

Book Clinic®, a pharmaceutical remedy to all your literary ailments with Chloe Spicer

Unlearning Zone, mobile unlearning service with Laura Rosser

Artist’s book surgeries with Simon Goode co-founder of London Centre for Book Arts

Sculptural Tower Book workshop with Guy Begbie

Some Notes on Books and Printing, panel discussion with the London Centre for Book Arts

Cycling the Paper Road, a talk by Barbara Salvadori & Jack Blake of The Shipping Press

Breaking, Google News headlines project, reading by Robert Good

In Retail, reading by Jeremy Dixon of Hazard Press

Artist’s book making workshop, making 3 simple books with Eva Hejdström

Walk & Draw, workshop with Sophie Cunningham Dawe

A History of Bookbinding & Artists’ books, talk by Stephen Glendenning

A talk on recent book structure inventions by Mike Clements

Performative readings by poets Mark Rutter and Stephen Boyce.