SoB INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2003

THE WINNING BINDINGS: choose a category to view...

Fine Binding    Complete Book    Cased Binding

Restored/Conserved Binding

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COMPETITION REPORT - by Stuart Brockman, Competition Organizer

This year’s competition saw 72 books being entered by 55 entrants, with a very even split between Professional and Non-Professional Binders. The entrants came from all over the world, including the UK, USA, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Estonia, The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

The entries were not evenly distributed across the categories, 30 books being entered in the Fine Binding category, 20 in the Cased binding, 15 in The Complete Book and 7 in the Restored/conserved.

All the bindings were exhibited at the SoB Biennial Education & Training Conference at Reading University 17-20th July, 2003. The bindings made an impressive and colourful display with many different ideas, concepts and skills being shown.

I am grateful to all the entrants who put in so much effort to complete their bindings and went to great expense to deliver their books to my home address.

We were very fortunate with sponsorship, and gave away prizes to the value of £5850. I must thank the sponsors who have so generously supported us with prizes of cash and goods. These were:

Conservation By Design Ltd.
J. Hewit & Sons Ltd.
FiberMark Red Bridge International Ltd.
Russells Ltd
P&S Engravings
Ratchfords Ltd
Fine Cut International Ltd.
Harmatan Ltd.
Preservation Equipment Ltd
Specialist Craft Ltd
William Cowley
Frances Wakeman Books and the Plough Press

The competition judges took a great deal of care and time examining the books. The judging was carried out by Glenn Bartley – one of the Conference speakers and a Fellow of Designer Bookbinders, Lester Capon, President of Designer Bookbinders and Brian Edwards, who you may be aware, ably ran the Competition for many years prior to my taking it over.

One of the things remarked upon by the judges was that the difference in standard between the Professional binders' work and that of the amateurs was not always clear.