For any of you interested in following what's happening in the world of book arts, there really is no better place to find everything current than in the University of the West of England's Book Arts Newsletter.  The latest issue, for September and October (and beyond) is out now and packed, as ever, with enough information to keep you going until the next issue.  In fact all the old issues are accessible and could probably keep you reading for the rest of the decade.

Each issue has a cover by a different book artist - this issue's is by Elizabeth Willow.

Hot Bed Press has chosen to find a book artist in residence from the annual MABF ever since taking over organisation of the fair in 2010.  That year, Parlour Press became the studio's first resident book artists. 

During six months of 2011 Parlour Press were able to make use of the HBP facilities.  They also produced an exhibition of their work for studio users and set up a beautifully constructed reading corner as part of the 2011 Wayzgoose fair at the Casket Works.  Below is their description of themselves in the 2010 book fair catalogue.

PARLOUR PRESS

Parlour Press is a book collective founded on the love of handcrafted books. No ISBNs allowed, we are self publishers. The five are Mandi Goodier, Caitlin Howard, Sophie Lee, Libby Scarlett and Lucy Vann.

We still have the naivety to say that literature, that beautiful places, that observation, that human frailty, that excessive collections, that new experience, that shared experience, that self expression, that fragile talent, that subversive pages, that sharing, that showing, that embracing everyone and everything will somehow make the world a better place to live in. That love and experience needs to be shared, can be spread over everybody like soft butter.  Because we are young enough to dream, because we are old enough to know that time will not wait, we believe that this moment is all we have - we are going to make the most of it.

We wish to share our thoughts, our views, our obsessions, our eccentricities, our expression, our experience, our aches, our pains, our ecstasy, our minds, our craft, our talent, our skills, our passions with you. We hope that you oblige.

The title says it all.  Yes folks, more exhibitors on the website, and even from the photos you can begin to see just how varied all the stands are going to be.  The enormous variety at an artists' book fair is part of the attraction - there must surely be something for everyone's tastes!

MABF 2013 has now been set up as an event on the Hot Bed Press facebook page .  Please spread the word -  go and join the event, then share with all your friends and acquaintances.  

Another handful of book artist details added to the MABF exhibitors' page today - I do enjoy all the booking forms coming in, being first to see who will be at the fair this year and what their work is like.

Look at this lovely, subtle morsel of letterpress from Elizabeth Willow's work - Elizabeth was the 2012 Hot Bed Press resident book artist, chosen at the 2011 fair.  

A shiny new website for MABF 2013!  Thankyou to all of you who have said nice things about it - it's in its infancy, but we intend to nurture it and help it to grow.

Lots of bookings are coming in for this year's fair, from old hands and from new faces, which is great.  Details for a  first clutch of exhibitors have been published today - more soon.