Win Win Win: A Craft-and-Textiles Library from Batsford
In 1843, a bookshop opened in London devoted to art and architecture. What followed was 180 years of publishing that kept faith with makers, artists, and the people who value what hands can do. By the close of the nineteenth century, Batsford Books had established itself as a specialist in high-quality illustrated non-fiction, and the name became synonymous with books that rewarded the eye as much as the intellect.
The historical frontage of the Batsford Bookshop
That sensibility never faded. Today, Batsford remains one of the UK's oldest independent publishers, and its list reflects a deep commitment to craft in every sense. The textile and art titles in particular share something with the work they document: they are thoughtfully constructed objects, attentive to surface, image, and detail. A Batsford book on embroidery or weaving does not merely describe a practice; it mirrors the care and intentionality of the practice itself. For anyone who works with cloth and thread, there is a particular pleasure in holding a book that understands why the physical experience of making matters.
Narrative Textiles by Ailish Henderson. This book is featured in the Batsford Craft-and-Textiles Library as part of this issue's Win Win Win competition.
In 2022, Batsford came full circle. At 266 Hackney Road in Hoxton, the company opened a bookshop again, more than a century and a half after its origins as a bookseller. The space holds a carefully chosen stock of Batsford titles alongside publications from Taschen, Thames and Hudson, the V&A, Hoxton Mini Press, and others.
Inside Textile Protest by Julia Triston. This book is featured in the Batsford Craft-and-Textiles Library as part of this issue's Win Win Win competition.
Beneath the shop, down a staircase, opens something unexpected: a large, light-filled gallery. Since The Batsford Gallery launched, it has hosted over thirty exhibitions, along with workshops, book signings, and artist events. Recent shows have ranged from Svitlana Dovbush's landscapes marked by war to a group exhibition exploring ritual and symbolic imagery. It is a genuinely generative space, embedded in the creative community that spreads along Hackney Road and out towards Columbia Road.
Stitch Tokyo by Yumi Hoops. This book is featured in the Batsford Craft-and-Textiles Library as part of this issue's Win Win WIn competition.
Which brings us to something we are very pleased to share with Selvedge readers. In this issue's Win Win Win prize draw, there is a craft-and-textiles library from Batsford up for grabs, worth £280. The collection includes newly released titles such as Stitch Tokyo by Yumi Hoops, Mending with Sashiko by Kerstin Neumüller and Takao Momiyama, and The Art of Couture Embroidery by Jessica Pile and Robert Ossant, alongside titles such as Wild Weave, Cloth Stories, Abstract Textiles, Narrative Textiles, and Unfolding Cloth. Taken together, these books map a rich and varied landscape of contemporary textile practice.
Quilt by Jessie Cutts, who will be at the Batsford 'Stitching for Wellbeing' Book Festival as part of London Textile Month.
And if the library prize has whetted your appetite, you'll be pleased to hear that as part of London Textile Month this year, Batsford is also presenting a one-day book festival at the Museum of the Home on Thursday 10 September, from 1 to 4pm. The theme is Stitching for Wellbeing, and four textile artists will present their forthcoming Batsford titles: Deena Beverley, Jessie Cutts, Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith, and Catherine-Marie Longtin.
In a world of disposable content, there is something to be said for a publisher that has spent nearly two centuries making things worth keeping. That longevity is no accident: it comes from a genuine understanding of the people who make, and an equal respect for the readers who want to learn from them.
...
Further Information:
-
-
To enter the competition, please click HERE.
...
Image Credits:
Lead: A selection of books available in the Batsford Books Craft-and-Textiles Library prize.
All further images as credited in captions.