The Artists' Book Fair: what it is and why it matters

An artists’ book fair is a gathering where artists sell books they have made themselves as works of art, rather than as ordinary printed matter. Expect tables of zines, hand-bound editions, folded concertinas, photocopied experiments and beautifully produced small runs, almost always sold by the people who made them. It matters because it is one of the most direct, affordable and unintimidating ways to buy original art and meet the artist in the same afternoon.

What is an artists’ book, exactly?

An artists’ book is a book conceived as an artwork in its own right. The point is not simply to print words or pictures on a page, but to use the book itself, its sequence, its materials, the act of turning a page, as the medium. Some are editions of a few hundred; others are unique objects. They range from a single sheet folded into a story to elaborately bound volumes with hand-pulled prints inside. What unites them is intention: the artist has decided that the book is the right form for this idea, and has controlled every part of how it is made.

This is worth holding onto, because at a fair you will see enormous variety. A risograph-printed zine sold for the price of a coffee and a meticulously letterpressed limited edition are both, legitimately, artists’ books. The form is broad on purpose.

What actually happens at a book fair?

At a typical artists’ book fair you walk between tables, each run by an artist, a small press, a print studio or a student collective. There is no white-cube hush and no pressure to whisper. You can pick things up, leaf through them, ask how something was printed and talk to the maker about the work. Most fairs are free to enter, busy and sociable, and they reward browsing slowly rather than arriving with a shopping list.

You will find a few recognisable types of stall. Some artists sell their own catalogue of work. Print studios bring editions made on their presses. Independent publishers show off their list. And there is usually a strong showing from recent graduates testing the water with their first published pieces. It is, quietly, a snapshot of who is making interesting work right now.

The artist’s book is where the gallery wall folds down to the size of your hands.

Why do artists’ book fairs matter?

Artists’ book fairs matter because they remove almost every barrier that keeps people out of the art world. Price is the obvious one. When a serious, original piece of art can cost less than a paperback novel, the question shifts from “can I afford this?” to “do I love this?” That is a healthy place to start collecting.

They also matter for artists. Self-publishing a book lets an artist put work into the world without waiting for gallery representation, a curator’s blessing or a grant. The book becomes a portable exhibition: it can be posted, swapped, stocked in a shop or handed to someone who would never set foot in a commercial gallery. For early-career and experimental artists especially, the book is a way to build an audience on their own terms.

And there is the simple matter of contact. At most art events the artist is absent and the gallerist mediates. At a book fair the maker is sitting right there. You can ask the questions that usually feel awkward, learn what a process actually involves, and leave understanding the work far better than a wall label would ever allow.

How do book fairs connect to the wider art scene?

Book fairs are tightly woven into the rest of the art world, even though they can feel like a corner of their own. Printmaking is the obvious bridge: many artists’ books rely on screen printing, etching, linocut or risograph, and the open-access print studios that teach and host these techniques are often the engine behind a region’s book scene. Studios such as Edinburgh Printmakers, Glasgow Print Studio and The Print Studio Cambridge are typical of the kind of place where editions are made, skills are passed on and small publishing projects get off the ground.

Degree shows feed the fairs too. A great deal of the freshest material on the tables comes from students and very recent graduates, which makes a book fair an excellent place to spot names long before they appear in a commercial gallery. If you enjoy the feeling of finding an artist early, this is fertile ground.

How to get the most out of your first fair

Go with curiosity rather than a plan. Walk the whole room once before buying anything, so you have a sense of the range and the prices. When something stops you, pick it up properly: feel the paper, notice the binding, read a few pages, and ask the maker how it came together. Stallholders are almost always delighted to talk, and that conversation is half the value of being there.

Bring cash as well as a card, since some stalls are cash-only, and keep a little space in your bag for the things you did not expect to want. If a book moves you and it is within reach, buy it. The pleasure of an artists’ book is that it goes home with you, lives on a shelf rather than in storage, and can be picked up and reread for years. Few art purchases offer so much for so little.