Binding the Bard

The pleasure of owning, holding and reading a well-made book is a feeling as familiar today as it was hundreds of years ago. The historic craft of bookbinding is an important feature of many of the rare books held at Palace Green Library and this exhibition celebrates the continuation of the artform by showcasing the skills of modern-day designer bookbinders around the world.

As part of the research project investigating our copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio, Durham University invited binders to submit proposals of how they would like to bind a modern reproduction of the book. One of these submissions will be commissioned as a design binding to be added to the Palace Green Library collection.

Visit this exhibition to see the entrants' work and their many different approaches to the competition brief. You can also step up to our interactive binder's workbench to explore the tools and materials professionals use.

If you can't visit in person, follow this link to explore the online catalogue of the competition entrants: Binding the Bard Online