Rachel Hazell, a bookbinder, describes her intriguing love and how it has led her to places like the mystical island of Iona and much more.
I was constantly encouraged to go on trips and was a bookish youngster. When I was 15, my mother arranged for me to visit a penfriend in West Africa. I read 28 books and kept a journal throughout that time. After I completed my studies in English literature at the university, my stepfather sent me a newspaper clipping about a bookbinder who worked close to where I was raised, outside Bath. I attended a weekend class, created my first book, and something inside of me suddenly snapped. I adored the methodical construction of such a classic form out of paper, thread, board, and glue. It's about bringing order out of chaos in a tiny manner. I decided to devote the rest of my life to being a bookbinder on the spot.
I discovered that I was more interested in the booking form as a creative medium than in restoration and conservation after receiving instruction in traditional bookbinding at the London College of Printing. I traveled all over the world, even serving as an artist-in-residence in Antarctica, as a result of my all-consuming enthusiasm for bookbinding. I began instructing in locations like the Islands of Scilly and Shetland, where for 14 years I conducted an annual class in a lighthouse. I adore the analogy of lighthouses serving as beacons of guidance. I see what I do as demonstrating to others a fresh form of creativity. In 2012, I decided I would teach a book-binding workshop somewhere in the world every month because I think everyone has a book inside them. I began in Yorkshire, traveled to Napa Valley, and ended in December in Paris.
I went to Iona for the first time because of love. A mutual acquaintance set me up with a guy. When I questioned her as to why she was so certain that I would be attracted to him, she replied that he had recently constructed a bookshelf out of an old boat. He resides in the northern part of the island, beyond which there is just a farm. He showed me around the house and the area that would become my writing space on my first visit. The moment I returned, there was a writing desk with a view of the water. It happened more than ten years ago.
Every spring and occasionally in the summer, I lead a retreat at Iona. Those who come in the evening explore their surroundings by going for walks or even swimming. The next morning, we begin gradually with some basic methods. We do projects like word maps and collages on folded paper. It's a chance to unwind and forget that being in a room with other people while trying to "create art" might be scary. Following that, we practice several bookbinding techniques, primarily the Coptic stitch, an old method of binding employed by early Christians in Egypt.
Some individuals arrive with predetermined plans, and I frequently attempt to direct them toward something more flexible by encouraging them to interact with the environment or spend time at the beach. Afterward, they may print something using a piece of rope or seaweed, or they would use a mussel shell as a sketching tool. We'll select the driftwood for the coverings on the second day. Next, I distribute various items so that individuals may color-wash the paper and trim it to size. People can opt to get up early, stroll down to the beach, and sit on a rock with a cup of tea because we start every day at 10 am and end at 4 pm. Also, they can read, continue creating, or watch the sunset in the evening. The Reilig dhrain, the oldest structure on Iona, is a highly significant location where the remains of previous Scottish monarchs are interred. There was a scriptorium there as well, where it is said that manuscripts like 'The Book of Kells' were created. On the last day, we complete all the pages, and following lunch, we sew them together. Bookbinding is such a beautiful, calming activity. You may study bookbinding at your local college or online, but this method is unique. Giving individuals space to contemplate, voice meaningful ideas, or explore and learn is important. I host virtual retreats on Iona for half the year and am situated in Edinburgh for the other half, where I travel and teach. This year, in addition to my Love Letters retreat in Paris, which focuses on visiting flea markets and paper boutiques, I am also hosting workshops in Bath and Edinburgh. I want to visit Shetland once more in the summer, and I'll be back in Venice for a Personal Geographies workshop in October. During this course, I take participants to a library where they may handle atlases, maps, and navigational books from the 15th century. It involves accessing a form of magic, as is the case with a lot of what I do.
Other artistic enclaves in the UK
West Dean Arts & Conservation College, West Sussex
Being able to stay in a Grade II-listed, flint-faced manor home surrounded by forest is always enjoyable, but this college transforms into something much more enjoyable on the weekends with classes in everything from pottery and bookbinding to stained-glass creation. Blacksmithing fans may learn how to create items in the style of the Vikings, while oil-on-canvas painters can use the South Downs as a picturesque backdrop.
Weekend courses start at $270 and include bed and breakfast; westdean.org.uk
County Armagh's Celtic Woodturning
During this retreat, participants may learn how to make a wooden bowl by hand using ancient techniques. The classes are led by host Pádraig Carragher, who also shares some of the culture and tradition woven into this picturesque area of heaths, forests, and farms known as the Ring of Gullion. Private rooms in a cottage or glamping pods with fire pits that are enclosed by a circle of stone walls are both options.
Retreats for four days start at £238 per person; visit notintheguidebooks.com
This woman travels the world honing the ancient practice of bookbinding 📚
— Condé Nast Traveller (@cntraveller) March 7, 2023
Rachel Hazell (@PaperHazell) explains her curious passion and how it has taken her to the elemental island of Iona and beyond. https://t.co/q4Msla0lpb pic.twitter.com/RdOjvr8d07
Devon, Shropshire, West Yorkshire, and the Arvon Foundation
The Arvon Foundation has drawn a distinguished roster of instructors to its three creative-writing centers throughout the 55 years since its founding, including Salman Rushdie and Hilary Mantel. Visitors to Shropshire stay in rooms at The Clockhouse, which views out over the lush Clune Valley, where the wild orchids, redwoods, and spring-fed lakes of the Shropshire Hills serve as plot inspiration.
Retreats for four to six days start at £615; arvon.org
In the Trossachs, at Gartmore House
The Divine Hag, an aromatherapy business owned by Margaret Morrison-Macleod, has turned candlemaking into beautiful art. In Gartmore House, a 100-acre house built in the 18th century next to Lake Lomond, the prize-winning craftsperson now divulges the techniques of her trade. Students receive three home-cooked meals per day while learning how to cut wicks, mold wax, and choose perfume combinations over four days.
Training starting at £979; gartmorehouse.com
Powys' Welsh School of Art
Students are taught both modern techniques of portraiture, still life, and landscape painting at this school in Wales not far from the town of Crickhowell. Visitors may participate in planned courses or work alone in the studio, and at the end of the day, they can retire to a contemporary stone house nearby that has a cozy fireplace.
Welsha Academy of Art offers two-day courses starting at £275.
Wiltshire's The Craftsman's Cottage
For workshops in woodworking, ceramics, bookbinding, and the age-old skill of English bulrush weaving, Amanda Bannister invites visitors to the rolling hills of the Wiltshire-Dorset border, where she is on a mission to share her love of crafting. From the GP & J Baker wallpaper in the master bedroom to the Pinch-designed furniture and Made in Britain ceramics, Bannister's early 19th-century house in the village of Semley even has furnishings that pay homage to domestic crafts. Saro-Wiwa Noo
Thecraftsmanscottage.com; rates beginning at £375 per night