Japanese Bookbinding

Thin Ice Press: the York Centre for Print is running a Japanese bookbinding workshop on Friday 11 September, from 15:00 to 18:00. It's one of the hands-on sessions they put on as part of their regular programme, which covers letterpress, linocut, risograph and bookbinding, and they run clubs alongside them.

Over the three hours, you'll work through traditional Japanese binding techniques, get to know the tools of the craft, and learn about grain direction—the way the fibres in the paper run, which changes how it folds and holds. You'll also practise different types of visible stitching, the kind that stays on the outside of the spine rather than being hidden inside. By the end, you'll leave with a hand-bound book you've made yourself, using washi-style paper.

It's a good one if you've ever wanted to see how a book actually comes together. You're not just watching someone else do it; you're the one with the tools in your hand, working through the process from the first fold to the final stitch. And because it's a three-hour session, there's enough time to get a proper handle on the techniques rather than rushing through them.

The workshop runs from 15:00 to 18:00 at Thin Ice Press: the York Centre for Print in York on Friday 11 September. You can find more details and book your place at thinicepress.org/workshops.