Oxford Fine Press Book Fair 2025

At roughly two-year intervals the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA) in the UK organises the Oxford Fine Press Book Fair, with the assistance of the Fine Press Book Association’s UK team. The Fair runs over a Saturday and Sunday with around 100 stands for presses, dealers, suppliers, and related organisations.

The 2025 Fair was held on 3 and 4 May in the Examination Schools in central Oxford, and was managed for the PBFA by Henry Gott and Siân Wainwright. As usual there was a good range of exhibitors (listed below) with a pleasing number of first-timers. On the Sunday afternoon there were three lectures, given by Carolyn Trant on 20 th century British women artists and book arts, by Elizabeth James on 150 years of book arts at the V&A, and by John Purcell – Is Paper the Greatest Invention of All Time?

Once again Judges’ Choice Awards were made, with a panel of three judges – Sandy Malcolm, Steven Tuohy, and Miles Wigfield – making their personal selections of new books on display that they regarded as worthy of special attention. This year there was also a Lewis Carroll Illustration Competition, inspired by the Lewis Carroll Exhibition at Christ Church Oxford.

Judges’ Choice Awards

This year’s Judges’ Choice Awards were made to:
Mindy Beloff of Intima Press Editions, for The Golden Hair of Medusa;
Paul Kershaw of Grapho Editions, for Gathering;
Hugh Macfarlane of Tudor Black Press, for James Guthrie & the Pear Tree Press.

2025 Exhibitors

Catalogued exhibitors at the 2025 Fair are:

FINE PRESSES
Altazimuth Press & Tom Paine Press
Ambeck Design
AMBruno
Andy Moore Calligraphy
Annegret Frauenlob
Apple and Wave Press
Aula Lucis
Awen Press
Blue Print Press
Bonnefant Press
Books Illustrated Ltd
Caroline Penn
Chevington Press
Chisato Tamabayashi
Christine McCauley/MsPress
Claire Illouz
Cordes Press
Corvus Works
Design for Today
Dept. of Small Works
Double Butted
Duet Books
Elies Plana
Ellen Martin-Friel
Fleece Press
Florin Press
Fox Ash Press
Friederike von Hellermann
Glastonbury Press and Bindery
Grapho Editions
Hand & Eye Editions/Arete Editions
Hirundo Press
Impress Publishing
Incline Press
Intima Press Editions
Jacqueline Thomas
Jane Cradock-Watson
Jim Butler
Leslie Gerry Editions
Linda Landers Fine Press Books
Mainstone Press
Mandy Brannan
Minotaur Press
Mixolydian Editions
Muttons & Nuts
Nancy Loeber
Nomad Letterpress
Nowhereman Press
Old School Press
Old Stile Press
p’s and q’s Press
Paekakariki Press
Parvenu Press
Petrarch Press
Red Plate Press
Ruth Martin
Salvage Press
Serena Smith
Solmentes Press
St James Park Press
Stella Press
Susan Allix
Swamp Press
Thin Ice Press
Titan and Weald
Tracey Bush/Fathom Five Books
Tudor Black Press
Valeria Brancaforte
Verso Press/Sue McLaren
Woodcraft Press

SOCIETIES, ASSOCIATED TRADES, AND SUPPLIERS
Designer Bookbinders
Fine Press Book Association
Harmatan & Oakridge
J Hewit & Sons Ltd
John Purcell Paper
Ludlow Bookbinders Ltd
Victoria Hall Hand Decorated Papers

BOOKSELLERS
Ashton Rare Books
Blackwell’s rare Books
Claude Cox Old & Rare Books
De Bry Rare Books
Joe McCann Books
Julian Smith
Lux Mentis
Maggs Bros Ltd
S P Tuohy
Small Circus Rare Books
Sophy Schneideman Rare Books
Veronica Watts
Zetetic Books