Bristol Artist’s Book Event

Bristol Artist’s Book Event (BABE) is a biennial showcase of artists’ books activity with 100+ artists and small presses exhibiting their works to the public for sale.

UWE Fine Art studios at Spike Island, Bristol

Fri 26 and Sat 27 June 2026, 11am – 5pm each day

Our focus for 2026 is ‘BABE Looking East’, with curators and artists from Japan showcasing bookworks and the participatory Kujibiki Drawing project in Bristol for the first time.

Initiated by artist Hisako Inui in 2008 the Kujibiki Drawing project is “a language workshop with communication as its theme. In this workshop, participants draw lots and draw a picture and leave a prompt of their own to connect with someone; a world of words that is neither poetry nor everyday life unfolds.”

Alongside our special guests from Japan you’ll also meet artists and publishers from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey, and the USA as well as exhibitors from all around the UK.

Since its first outing, BABE has established a great reputation as a relaxed and friendly event to meet and talk to book artists about their work and buy works of art. Organised by Sarah Bodman (UWE) and Tom Sowden (Boomsatsuma). You can read a potted history of BABE here.

Free event, all welcome. 11am- 5pm each day. We hope you can come along!

Our venue is a 20-minute stroll along the harbourside from the city centre: UWE Bristol City Campus at Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Rd, Bristol BS1 6UX. Visitor info

Images - Top: Karen Joyce: Kajsa Bornedal: Riso Des Bois: Yuxuan Zhou. Below: Kajsa Bornedal.

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Host or Publisher Book Arts at the Centre for Fine Print Research, UWE Bristol