About Us
About Bookbinders of Lewes
Bookbinders of Lewes was established in 1992 as a small hand bindery, specialising in both one-off and limited edition bindings.
Jill Prole
I have been a professional bookbinder for nearly 40 years and in 1992 helped set up Bookbinders of Lewes.
My work ranges from restoration, presentation and limited editions to special commissions for companies, institutions and private collectors. I also teach different aspects of bookbinding, individually or in small groups and belong to both The Society of Bookbinders and Designer Bookbinders, attending talks and seminars.
Rachel Ward-Sale
I studied Art, Design and Bookbinding at The University of Brighton from 1977 – 81 under John Plummer, Faith Shannon and David Sellars. Elected a Licentiate member of Designer Bookbinders in 1980, and Fellow in 2005, I am currently serving as President.
In 1980 and 2004 I won the Designer Bookbinders Competition silver medal and the Getty Prize in the 2017 DB International Competition.
Since leaving college, I have been self-employed, initially working from home before co-founding Bookbinders of Lewes, where my work includes general binding, repairs and commissioned fine bindings.
In addition to my binding work, I also teach bookbinding at my Lewes workshop and other venues including West Dean College near Chichester.
Texture is a recurrent element in my work, which I enjoy exploring, often using found objects to print or impress leather and paper. I like the immediacy of these techniques and find the textures they create very tactile.