Bristol Artist’s Book Event (BABE) is a biennial showcase of artists’ books activity with 100+ artists and small presses exhibiting their works to the public for sale.

Our focus for 2026 is ‘BABE Looking East’, with curators and artists from Japan showcasing bookworks and the participatory Kujibiki Drawing project in Bristol for the first time.

Initiated by artist Hisako Inui in 2008 the Kujibiki Drawing project is “a language workshop with communication as its theme. In this workshop, participants draw lots and draw a picture and leave a prompt of their own to connect with someone; a world of words that is neither poetry nor everyday life unfolds.”

Alongside our special guests from Japan you’ll also meet artists and publishers from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey, and the USA as well as exhibitors from all around the UK.

Since its first outing, 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. Organised by Sarah Bodman (UWE) and Tom Sowden (Boomsatsuma). You can read a potted history of BABE here.

Free event, all welcome. 11am- 5pm each day. We hope you can come along!

Our venue is a 20-minute stroll along the harbourside from the city centre: UWE Bristol City Campus at Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Rd, Bristol BS1 6UX. Visitor info here.

BABE exhibitors 2026:
51 Personae; ABC @ UWE; Ai Mikami; Aiko Nakano; AMBruno; Amy Sterly; Andrew Morrison; Aoi._bird Collective; Annette Brausch; Best Books by Bernard & Anwyl; Bodkin Beak (Sally Light); Book Arts at UWE | Impact Press; The Bookband; bookRoom @ UCA Farnham; Books About Art; Boomsatsuma; Bunny Bissoux; C.A.Hiley & C.Simonis | Riso Des Bois; Carl Middleton; Carolyn Trant | Parvenu Press; Cathey Webb; Chisato Tamabayashi; Ciarrai Samson; Claire Gladstone; Clare Rogers; Colossive Press; Corinne Welch; David Armes | Red Plate Press; David Dellafiora | Field Study; eeodo; Eiko Miyazawa (Namaraya); Erin K. Schmidt; Eva Hejdström; Felicity Bristow; GEFN Press; Gen Harrison | typochondriacs; George Gibson; Gnōbilis Press; Heather Prescott; Helen Douglas | Weproductions; HG Makes; Hidekazu Konishi; Hiroko Fukumoto; Hiromichi Ito; Hisako Inui; Hokori; intergraphia; Jacqueline Thomas Books; Jane Cradock-Watson; Jane Hyslop; Jeff Rathermel; Jeremy Dixon | Hazard Press; Joan Ainley; Julie Johnstone | Essence Press; Kajsa Bornedal; Karen Joyce; Kate Bernstein; Katya de Grunwald; Keiko Moroda; Kujibiki Drawing Project; Kyoko Matsunaga; Larissa Cox; Left Cultures; Lego Print Press | Ben Goodman; Less Than 500 Press; Linda Parr; Liver & Lights; Lucie Holzer; Lucy Austin; MAAP Books – MA Illustration Authorial Practice | Falmouth University; Masaco Kuroda; Mavina Baker; MakingSpace; Mel Brown; Menko; Micro Library Books; Mr Smith; Naoe Ogawa; Nayu Irie; Nick Hand | The Letterpress Collective; Nick Moore; Nick West; nü editions; Omotot; Pauline Lamont-Fisher; Peter Rapp; Philippa Wood & Tamar MacLellan; Pittville Press | University of Gloucestershire; Pupa Press; Quince Press; Rachel Marsh | Semple Press; Rachel Smith; Rebecca Weeks; Richard Roberts; RTiiiKA; Robert Good; Roelof Bakker; Ryoko Adachi; Samantha Shellard; Sayaka Takasaki; Scherry Shi; Sloes; Stephen Fowler; Steven Paige; Street Road Artists’ Space; Stroud Artists Books; Suzuko Momoyama; Syuta Mitomo; Tamsin Green | manual.editions; Tess Mounsey; Trace Projects; Tolka; torna; Tom Paine Printing Press | Peter Chasseaud; UWE Illustration BA Hons; Viktlösheten; Yellow Back Books; Yoneko Shiraishi; Yuxuan Zhou | Satsuki Press; Zelda Velika.

Christine Dong Chěng is working with The Lemonade Press to produce the Bristol Artist’s Book Event print edition which will be for sale on the Aoi._bird Collective table at BABE.

On Saturday 27 June 2026 at Spike Island there is also WAWAW | Writing Art Writing Art Writing: When Language Becomes Material
With WITTA, Katrina Palmer, Roy Claire Potter, Anna Barham, Lydia Davies and Sam Hasler.
A day-long event exploring relationships between art and writing, presented by WITTA (Writing In / To / Through Art) – a research initiative supported by UWE Bristol that brings together artists, writers, practitioners and researchers whose work resides at the crossovers between writing and art. 1.30–9.30pm. SOLD OUT – Join Waiting List here.