Toben Lewis

1414

Isle of Iona

Website

https://www.bailemor.co.uk

Toben's lifelong passion for books led him from working as a book designer in the publishing industry, through a hobby in letterpress printing, to finally finding and falling in love with the ancient craft of bookbinding.

Since stumbling into this world of bookbinding he has studied the subject intensely, both the physical craft and engineering of it alongside the history of the practice worldwide. He started out teaching himself which led to earning both a QEST scholarship and Heritage Crafts bursary. Through these he has been able to study with Karen Hanmer, Kathy Abbott, Dominic Riley, Arthur Green, and a number of other expert bookbinders, conservation specialists, and book historians in the UK, USA, and Switzerland.

Toben works out of his bindery on the Isle of Iona making books by commission, undertaking book repairs, and teaching bookbinding. He has twice won Best Creative Binding in the Elizabeth Soutar Bookbinding competition, and his bindings are held in private collections and the National Library of Scotland. He is a Licentiate of Designer Bookbinders UK.