Time ceases in a Library. Its lifeblood, its books, transports the reader to another time. The bookmark arrests that other time and contains the promise of a necessary return in the future.
Within the ancient walls of Wenlock Abbey sits the newly created Louis de Wet Library, built to honour the past glory of the printed word, and protect its future – a new link in an old chain.
The Louis de Wet Foundation is proud to be hosting a workshop in the ancient setting of the Great Hall – a world away from laptops and mobile phones – where you will learn the basics of composing type by hand, using traditional Victorian printing presses brought from Nick’s workshop in Bristol.
You are invited to bring with you a favourite quote from a book or poem. This quote can be up to 30 words maximum, and, you may also bring a reserve quote, a shorter one, with up to 15 words, if you wish.
Using time-honoured techniques, you will learn how to set the letter type and hand print bookmarks using your own carefully chosen quote. You will leave with at least 30 bookmarks which you can take home at the end of the day. Such uniquely made bookmarks make treasured gifts or can be placed in your own cherished books. The workshop is designed for people with little or no experience and with a maximum of 6 students, ensures individual attention.
THE WORKSHOP ITSELF:
At 9:45am meet outside the front gates of Wenlock Abbey in the Bullring. You will be welcomed by the team, and led up to the house and introduced to your workshop leader, Nick Hand, who will explain how he intends to run the day. The team will show you something of the house, including the Louis de Wet Library.
The workshop runs from 9:45am to 5pm and includes tea/coffee, biscuits, and afternoon cakes, which will be provided in the adjacent Lesser Hall.
Please bring your own packed lunch, and don’t forget to bring your favourite quote!
Nick Hand.
Nick Hand trained as a typographer at Stafford Art College in the mid 1970s. He spent a year working with a type compositor and letterpress printer and that time stayed with him. When computers arrived, he never quite got the hang of screen-time and looked for ways of finding other things to do, including cycling around the coast of Britain and Ireland in 2009, meeting crafts men and women. This led him to look for a way of making a living with his hands, which gave him the idea of returning to letterpress.
Nick set up his letterpress workshop in the centre of Bristol in 2013, primarily as a way of saving beautiful printing presses and type heading for the scrapyard. He founded the Department of Small Works and the Letterpress Collective to revive endangered printing skills. Over the years, a world away from laptops, Nick has run workshops to teach people the basics of setting metal type and then printing from their type. Nick works with artists, writers and poets to produce printed works. He documents British craft through his cycling expeditions, and also travels to libraries on his bicycle with his trusty Adana 8×5 press.
