Five Minutes with a Friend: Charlotte Wainwright
A book's binding is the first thing you touch and, often, the last thing you notice. Charlotte Wainwright has spent more than a decade changing that — making coverings and structures that are considered and alive to material and surface. Here, the object itself becomes part of the story it contains.
Charlotte Wainwright carefully guides pigment through floating inks, creating delicate marbled patterns.
Her route into the craft was an unlikely one. Studying Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins, she encountered bookbinding during her degree and found, in its particular intersection of structure and surface, something that design school alone could not satisfy. The transition makes sense in retrospect: her work is deeply shaped by a designer's instincts — an attentiveness to proportion, material and detail that lifts each piece beyond the purely functional.
A stack of handcrafted journals showcases vivid marbled covers, each one swirling with bold colors and one-of-a-kind patterns.
From her East London studio in Walthamstow, Charlotte works across bespoke re-bindings, hand-marbled editions, branded commissions and the careful restoration of well-loved books. A fascination with the mathematics of box-making underpins much of her structural thinking, while a taste for unexpected covering materials — designer fabrics, distinctive wallpapers, gold-foiled cloth — gives her work a contemporary edge. Traditional techniques are always the foundation; convention, rarely the destination.
The Rebound, BBC, featuring a rebind of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for Josh Widdicombe.
Her client list reflects the reach of that reputation: Liberty London, Tate, the V&A, the Saatchi Gallery and the BBC have all sought her out. Most recently, a commission for the BBC's BookTok series saw her transform a copy of Sherlock Holmes into a bespoke re-binding for comedian Josh Widdicombe — filming the entire process herself. It is characteristic of a maker who understands that in craft, the process is as worth preserving as the finished object.
We are delighted to welcome Charlotte for a Meet the Maker online talk on Wednesday 6 May 2026, 5–6pm BST — an unmissable evening for anyone who loves books, craft and making.
Ahead of the event, we spoke to Charlotte in our 5 minutes with a friend interview series:
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Five Minutes with a Friend: Charlotte Wainwright
Portrait of Charlotte Wainwright
Charlotte, what is your earliest memory of a textile?
As a young kid I had an amazing technicolored Guatemalan jacket - that springs to mind as a memorable textile! I can still imagine the feel of it and how cool I felt wearing it.
How would you describe what draws you to textiles and the world of making?
I love print and pattern! I also love sewing. I’ve been described as having maximalist taste, but I can also appreciate a plain fabric in a luxurious texture. I love the satisfaction and process of turning metres of beautiful fabric into books, or sewing clothes or a frilly-edged cushion!
A stack of fabric-bound notebooks, tied with a patterned ribbon, blending handmade craftsmanship with timeless design.
If you create with textiles, where do you feel most inspired to work?
As a bookbinder I love to use fabrics to cover books and boxes. I turn them into bookcloths that can be glued out by backing them with paper. I work down a lovely leafy road in my bookbinding studio in Walthamstow in London.
What has sparked your imagination or inspired you recently?
I’ve been lucky enough to work on a creative braille binding for a blind customer recently, which has been incredibly inspiring and special. I used lots of beautiful and interesting tactile elements, including soft velvets and textural linens.
What is your most treasured textile, and what story does it carry?
I’d have to say a tiny cardigan I knitted for my daughter who was born slightly early and was so small! I still have that stripy cardigan with coconut buttons and think it’s crazy she once fit into it.
Restoring a worn book by hand, preserving its story through the delicate art of bookbinding.
Where did you first learn your craft, and who shaped your early approach to making?
I was first introduced to bookbinding whilst studying Graphic Design at Central St Martins, and then later went on to work at a very traditional old bindery in Central London for a few years before setting up my own studio. I took lots of bookbinding courses at places like City Lit and Morley College.
Is there a piece of music you return to while you work, that sets the rhythm of your making?
At the moment I’m enjoying the new album from Parcels. It always puts me in a happy motivated mood to get making!
What material or technique are you currently experimenting with or curious to explore further?
Not work related, but I’m about to start a cute little outfit for a friend’s new baby. Cutting up a vintage striped, towel dressing gown and turning it into a 2 piece sweater and trousers in a tiny newborn size!
A delicate butterfly emerges in shimmering gold foil, revealing the precision and beauty of traditional hand-finishing.
If you could collaborate with any maker—past or present—who would it be, and why?
Ooh wow, great question. If past, I would go for William Morris! I’ve always been drawn to his beautiful, botanical patterns (I have the “Fruit Wallpaper” by Morris & Co in my bathroom). As a leading figure in the Arts & Crafts movement, he championed the beauty and importance of handcrafts, and designed some incredible foil-blocked book covers and printed plates, with decorative type and nature-inspired motifs and borders. I take lots of inspiration from this era in my own designs.
What does a perfect day of making look like for you?
Get in the studio early, lots of cups of black coffee, Radio 6 Music, chatting to my studio pals, sun shining through the lovely big windows.
Thank you Charlotte, for your inspiring answers to our questions.
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Further Information:
Charlotte Wainwright's Meet the Maker online talk takes place on Wednesday 6 May 2026, 5–6pm BST. Tickets can be booked HERE
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Image Credits:
Lead: Marbled papers by Charlotte Wainwright
All further images as credited in captions, and courtesy of Charlotte Wainwright.