Book fair
A large event with many participants, talks and meetings. A good opportunity to see how differently books are designed today.
Events
Events
Books are worth seeing in person as well as reading about: at an exhibition of early editions, beside a printing press in a museum, or at a fair where illustrators and bookbinders show their work. We do not publish listings or name specific events; instead we describe the formats and how to prepare for them.
Watching an old press at work means understanding the book with your hands. After that, the word "impression" sounds quite different.
How this section works: we describe types of events and ways to check information about them. Please confirm dates, venues and admission arrangements with the organisers.
Types of book events
The five formats you are most likely to come across.
Exhibition of early books
A display in a library or museum where you can study early printed editions, bindings and illustrations behind glass.
Museum of books and printing
A permanent display of tools, type and presses, where the printing process itself is sometimes demonstrated.
Library open day
A chance to look inside the stacks and conservation workshops and learn how rare volumes are handled.
Binding or printing workshop
A small hands-on session where you sew a section, set a line of type or pull a print yourself.
Who makes a book (in Russian)
How to prepare for a book fair or a book museum visit
- Check the details on the organiser's or venue's own website: opening hours, entry arrangements and whether you need to book in advance.
- Look at the programme: find out when printing demonstrations or curator-led tours take place, and pick one or two highlights for the day.
- Check the photography rules: flash is often not allowed in rooms with old books, to protect the paper and inks.
- Bring a notebook: it is handy for jotting down terms you hear from the guide so you can look them up here later.
- Come with a question. Decide in advance what you want to look at today: bindings, typefaces or illustrations.
- Do not touch the exhibits without permission. But if the museum lets you leaf through a facsimile or pull a print, be sure to take the opportunity.
Read next
- Collections
Routes through the guide: by craft, by history, and a short path for a first introduction.
- Close reading
A step-by-step way to examine the design of an edition, plus a table of a book's main elements.
- Book people
The professions without which no book appears, and ways to find out who worked on a particular edition.
Sources
- Reference works on the history of the book and of printing
- International standard ISO 2108 (ISBN)
Historical information is based on reference literature on the history of the book and of printing. Details of exhibitions, museums and fairs change, so please confirm them with the organisers.