Study Visit to Conways of Halifax: Bookbinders

Coinciding with the launch of OCA’s new Book Design 1 course a study visit has been organised to Conways of Halifax bookbinding workshop on Saturday 10 November. The visit will be led by bookbinder and printmaker Roger Grech and will include a tour of the facilities by workshop owner, Stephen Conway, and a hands-on bookbinding workshop.
Roger Grech has dedicated the last twenty-seven years to studying and practicing printmaking, gaining Honours and Masters degrees in the subject. His practice concentrates on Artist’s Books where the design and precise craft of the binding process combined with printmaking make for a very symbiotic relationship. His work is held in private and public collections including the V&A and can also be seen on his Papercut Bindery blog.
After serving a five-year apprenticeship, Stephen worked at the Scolar Press fine bindery, Ilkley and Smith Settle, Otley, before establishing his own business in 1985. He currently runs a small bindery in Halifax, West Yorkshire, working mainly on private press editions, presentation work, commissions and design binding. Recently, he has been involved with a major collaboration to bind the Highgrove Florilegium for HRH Prince Charles. In 1998 Stephen won the Designer Bookbinders Silver medal, was elected Fellow of Designer Bookbinders in 2000 and President in 2011. His design bindings are housed in private collections and institutions worldwide, including The British Library and The National Library of Scotland.
Book Design 1 complements the existing first year courses on BA (Hons) Visual Communication, and provides an overview of book design and publishing from basic layout and typography to the use of paper and simple book construction and bookbinding techniques. Roger Grech will be one a range of new OCA tutors supporting the course.
If you would like to find out more about the course then get in touch with OCA or if you’d like to give book binding a go and talk to some experienced binders, then come along to our study visit. For a place on this study visit, all visual arts students welcome, please email enquiries@oca-uk.com. There are only 15 places available so as always it’s first come first served.