Pavilion

Batsford will publish Inside Ukraine: A Portrait of a Country and its People by Ukraïner next month. The book is a visual exploration of the real Ukraine featuring over 350 photographs, lovingly put together by the Ukraïner team in the years leading up to the current war.

Publisher Polly Powell acquired English language UK, Europe, US and Aus rights from Rights Director Ivan Fedechko at The Old Lion Publishing House, Lviv.

Powell commented: ‘This book came into my hands as a gift from the Ukrainian family I was hosting in London. It, along with the mother and two girls, had travelled 30 hours to get to us, via a bus, a train journey to the Polish border and then a flight from Krakow. They didn’t know I was a book publisher and my immediate interest was a surprise to them. It was obvious both that they needed to sleep, and that the book needed to be published in the English-speaking world. It was written before the war and it is a wonderful portrait of what it means to be Ukrainian.’

Ukraïner is a volunteer-run multimedia project launched in 2016. It aims both to help Ukrainians discover the varied regions of their country, and to promote Ukraine to the wider world. Its volunteers travel the country to explore its landscape, customs and people.

In Inside Ukraine, readers will discover picturesque villages, stunning mountain scenery, medieval fortresses, curious museums and even a bear sanctuary. Along the way is a huge cast of characters including traditional carol singers, wild honey farmers, potters, sheep-breeders and broom-makers. Also included are a wealth of QR codes that can be scanned to unlock longer articles on the Ukraïner website, along with more images and videos, giving a whole new dimension to the book.

Inside Ukraine by Ukraïner is publishing by Batsford on 16 February 2023 and is available for pre-order now.
ISBN 9781849948555, RRP £25, Hardback.

Find out more

A patchwork of memories, making, travel and textiles by Anne Kelly, exhibited at The Harley Gallery

Visit the Harley Gallery between January and March this winter to explore textile artist Anne Kelly’s work in abundance.

In Anne’s hands, scraps of fabric, bits and bobs, images and ideas are combined and transformed. The resulting multi-layered and densely stitched embroideries which have been described as ‘small worlds’. These small worlds are often a kind of travel diary. Travel in the sense of trains, boats and planes, but also travel in the sense of personal journeys over time and through history.

Anne derives immense joy and inspiration from new places and new people. She keeps many sketchbooks, wherein she collects bits and pieces, images and ideas. But when making her work she likes to start with a piece of fabric – even a scrap – and build on that. She is a collector (if not a hoarder) of textile related flotsam and jetsam. But she also collects memories; of places she has visited in person, and also places and scenes she has visited in exhibitions, in books and films.

This exhibition celebrates Anne’s book Textile Travels where she shows how to capture your travels, past and present, in stitch with practical techniques sitting alongside inspiring images. Beginning the book by discussing maps in textile art, she goes on to explore the influence of different cultures from across the globe on textile art. From India and Peru to Scotland and Scandinavia, this beautiful book shows how to harness traditional techniques, fabrics, motifs and colours for use in your own work.

Anne’s work reminds us that the mind keeps travelling, regardless of what our bodies are doing. This exhibition invites you to step into Anne’s ‘small worlds’ and join her to celebrate memories of travelling.

Books by Anne Kelly will be available to purchase in the shop.

Tickets: FREE – drop in!

Tickets available for half term courses

About the author

Trained in Canada and at Goldsmiths College in London, Anne creates wall hangings and objects using a mixture of mixed media collage and hand and machine embroidery. Her inspirations are taken from travel, memory, nature and especially folk art. She is a member of the Embroiderers Guild UK, the Crafts Council Directory, the European Textile Network and the Society for Embroidered Work. Anne exhibits widely, has published four books on textile art, and runs regular workshops on textiles and mixed media art. She has been artist in residence in a beautiful garden in Sussex and a hilltop village in Italy.

Events

Patchworks of Places // Take part in our free drop-in community art project

Superhero Mask Workshop // 17^th February 10.30am – 12noon

Superhero Cape Workshop // 17^th February 12.30pm – 2pm

Artist Talk // Free // 17^th February 2.30pm – 3pm

Moving Memories // One-day class at Hope and Elvis inspired by Anne’s latest book ‘Textile Travels’ // 18^th February

Batsford are looking for a keen and capable Editorial Assistant to work with us in our busy editorial department. Supporting our friendly team of editors and designers, core duties would include:

• Hands-on editorial work
• Writing cover copy and producing sales material along with managing metadata
• Processing submissions
• Handling post and couriers including author copies
• Assisting at book launch events
• Overseeing our programme of reprints
• Liaising with authors and our network of freelance editors and designers
• Picture research
• Arranging copyright permissions
• Handling contracts and invoices
• Managing department databases

We’re looking for someone educated to graduate level with strong organisational and IT skills, a keen eye for detail and a love of books. Experience with Adobe InDesign preferable but not essential. If you’re interested in this exciting opportunity, please send your CV and a covering letter to jobs@batsfordbooks.com by 20 January 2023.

Batsford is a thriving independent publisher established in 1843. Over the last 180 years, Batsford has developed an enviable reputation in the areas of heritage, textiles, design, art, nature and chess. Our bestselling authors include Millie Marotta, Adam Dant, Elain Harwood, The Twentieth Century Society, Hazel Soan, Cas Holmes and many more.

Artist and author of Contemporary Weaving Rachna Garodia will exhibit her work ‘Woven Walks’ at a gallery space in Richmond.

This exhibition is a new collection of works by Rachna Garodia, establishing a quiet, contemplative connection with the natural world. Rachna’s intricately woven textures are akin to viewing a landscape, capturing the atmosphere, tone, and emotion from her daily walks. Bringing unexpected textures together in a warp has always been the starting point for Rachna’s work. She juxtaposes cotton, linen, silk, nettle, hemp, and wool with found materials like paper, bark, seedpods and twigs.

All her works are unique; each takes shape slowly in her studio in West London. While being self-reflective and meditative in her approach she explores small and large 3D forms challenging the boundaries of weaving.

When: 9 –  27 November 2022

Where: 1 Paved Court, Richmond TW9 1LZ

Artist’s Talk: Sat 12 Nov 2.30pm.  Just drop in, no need to book. Rachna will be discussing her new book Contemporary Weaving in Mixed Media with editor Emily Steadman.

Entry: Free!

Contemporary Weaving in Mixed Media

This brand-new glorious book is a modern guide to weaving, an ancient craft that is reaching new heights of popularity. Written by Rachna, and featuring her works throughout, it contains a wealth of practical advice and tons of inspiration for every aspect of this endlessly adaptable craft, from gathering materials to making and exhibiting ambitious woven masterpieces, bringing in a wide selection of mixed media.

Meditative and calming, a session at the loom is a great way to relax, and create something beautiful in the process.

Gorgeously illustrated, this book is an engaging and beautiful introduction to weaving for established textile artists or those coming to the craft for the first time.

About the Artist

Rachna Garodia trained at the prestigious National Institute of Design in India and The Royal School of Needlework in London. Her work predominantly involves hand embroidery and weaving. Her visual language continues to evolve, combining echoes of her life in India with the experience of living in London for the past 15 years.  Her commissioned pieces are held in private collections in India, London and America.

Rachna is a member of the Pollen Collective and her work was included in the group show, DIALOGUES OF DISTANCE at One Paved Court in May 2021.

Artist Website: https://www.rachnagarodia.com/

We are pleased to present The Batsford Prize 2023!

The award is open for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying at a UK institution, with over £4,500 of prizes to be won.

There are four categories to enter:

• Applied Art and Textiles
• Fine Art
• Illustration
• Children’s Illustration

Plus:

• Prize for overall winner

The winner in each category will receive a £300 cash prize. Winners and runners up will also receive books from Batsford.

Read more about the award and how to enter.

Long did she reign and peacefully may she rest: a beautiful and thoughtful tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is publishing next month, celebrating the life of a remarkable woman.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926–2022: A celebration of her life and reign by royal biographer and broadcaster Brian Hoey is a richly illustrated commemorative book. With 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Hoey describes the childhood, accession and coronation of young Elizabeth, and chronicles her extraordinary and dignified transfiguration into beloved wife, mother and grandmother during her seven decades of unflagging service and dedication as Queen of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth. He also explains the constitutional roles and public duties of this accomplished stateswoman, conducted with such outstanding grace and professionalism throughout her life.

As the royal family, her country, and countless people around the world prepare to say goodbye, he describes all the honour and ceremony one would expect to be lavished on this cherished sovereign and considers the everlasting effect that her work, life, and legacy will continue to have for many years to come.

This release is the latest in Pitkin’s longstanding and much-loved books on the royal family, which started in 1947 with the release of Princess Elizabeth’s Wedding Day. It was a first in two senses: both the first souvenir guidebook to be published on the royal wedding, and the very first book to be published by Pitkin. 75 years on, Pitkin remains at the forefront of royal publishing, with titles ranging from illustrated biographies of members of the royal family and important occasions to portraits of historical monarchs.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926–2022: A celebration of her life and reign by Brian Hoey is published by Pitkin on 25th October 2022 as a hardback priced at £9.99.

About the author

Brian Hoey is the author of over thirty books about royalty, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Celebration and has interviewed many members of the Royal Family including Prince (now King) Charles and the Princess Royal, the late Duke of Edinburgh and Diana, Princess of Wales. An experienced broadcaster, he was one of the BBC’s first royal newscasters and contributes to newspapers and magazines throughout the world on royal matters.

We’re excited to announce the Batsford Textile Takeover! An 8-day feast on our Instagram account to celebrate the launch of four new textile books.

Over two days, each author will introduce themselves, their work and their book. You’ll also have a chance to win all of these four gorgeous textile books! Here’s the line-up:⁠

⁠
3–4th September

Alice Fox

@alicefoxartist⁠
Embroiderer and textile artist, author of Wild Textiles: Grown, Foraged, Found
⁠

5–6th September

Jordan Cunliffe

@artisan_embroidery⁠
Textile artist and embroidery designer, author of Record, Map & Capture in Textile Art: Data Visualization in Cloth and Stitch
⁠

7–8th September

Rachna Garodia

@rachnagarodia⁠

Weaver and textile artist, author of Contemporary Weaving in Mixed Media
⁠

9–10th September

Ann Goddard

@anngoddardartist⁠
Mixed media textile artist, author of Mixed Media Textile Art in Three Dimensions

⁠
Make sure to follow us @batsfordbooks and the hashtag #batsfordtextiles to see the posts. And do check our profile page from time to time to make sure you don’t miss anything.⁠
⁠
We hope you’ll enjoy!⁠

⁠

Top image: Composition featuring artworks from Alice Fox, Jordan Cunliffe, Rachna Garodia and Ann Goddard.⁠
⁠

We’re very pleased to introduce Batsford’s fantastic autumn books!

This is an exciting year for Batsford as it marks the return of the company to being a truly independent book publisher. Established in 1843, Batsford was part of other publishing companies for the last couple of decades. As of December last year, we’re going at it on our own again, and can rightfully claim to be Britain’s newest oldest independent publisher.

We’re excited to continue publishing the very best books by talented authors in the fields of arts, textiles, architecture, heritage, nature, poetry, chess and other categories.

Browse our catalogue to discover the exciting books we have in store for the autumn:

Our books are stocked at all good booksellers. You’ll find links to some of them via the book pages here on our website.

If you’re a retailer who’d like to stock our books, get in touch with our distributors here.

Catalogue cover illustration by Elenaor Crow, author of Shopfronts of London.

Join us in the Sunny Bank Mills Gallery to celebrate the release of Artist Alice Fox’s latest book Wild Textiles!

You will have the chance to chat with Alice, have your new book signed, and see some of her latest work on display as part of the gallery’s new exhibition ‘Vessel’.

FREE ENTRY – No booking required.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Textile artist Alice Fox works with found, foraged, gathered and grown materials to create fabulous textile pieces that are inspired by, and made from, nature. Her brand-new book Wild Textiles is packed with creative ideas for using local, seasonal and sometimes unconventional materials that are deeply personal and resonate with history and place.

• Grow your own materials – from harvesting flax and nettle for fibres and cloth, to braiding and cordage with ‘weeds’ or wild plants,
to collecting leaves that can be stitched, quilted and shaped into vessels.
• Forage for natural objects such as shells, pebbles and driftwood that can be wrapped, woven into, or looped in three dimensions, as well as a multitude of urban treasures that can find a new life in creative hands.
• Gathered grass, wool and mud can be delightfully repurposed by the textile artist, as well as paper (for string and boxes), plastic, cloth or even old tools, can be reworked into unique works of art.

About the author

Alice Fox is a textile artist working with natural fibres and gathered materials, employing natural dyes, stitch, weave and soft basketry techniques. She studied Contemporary Surface Design & Textiles at Bradford School of Arts & Media and completed an MA in Creative Practice at Leeds Arts University. She is a member of the Textile Study Group. Alice works from her allotment and her studio, and exhibits, lectures and teaches workshops nationally and internationally. She is based in West Yorkshire.

Join author and leading bird expert Dominic Couzens at the Guildford Book Festival where he introduces his beautiful new book A Year of Birdsong: 52 Stories of Songbirds.

From the ancient song of the rifleman, a native of New Zealand, to the Eurasian skylark that evokes the zenith of summer, from the American robin, whose song resonates from the top of skyscrapers and in the wilds of Alaska, to the drumming rhythm of the Great Spotted Woodpecker – A Year of Birdsong features a song, and a story, for every week of the year.

The book covers topics including bird nature and behaviour, the musicality of the notes, and what different songs communicate. Each story is accompanied by illustrations from award-winning artist Madeleine Floyd, and a QR code so you can listen to the birdsong while you read.

In this talk, Dominic invites you to listen out for the natural wonder of birdsong as he shares fascinating stories of songbirds from around the world.

Dominic Couzens is a British birder, author and journalist specialising in avian and natural history subjects. He contributes regularly to Bird Watching and BBC Wildlife magazines; and is also a professional field trip guide. His previous books include A Bird A Day, The Secret Lives of Garden Birds and The Secret Lives of British Birds. He believes passionately in helping people to a greater understanding of the natural world, and about communicating the threats to nature, and what we can do to help our planet.

Guildford Book Festival was established in 1989 and is now a key cultural event which captures the imagination of people of all ages, backgrounds and interests. The Festival is staged annually across venues within the town over a week in October and attracts high profile authors and book loving audiences. Visit this year for all literary delights from ancient history through to vegan recipes.

When: Wednesday 5 October 2022, 7–8pm

Where: St Mary’s Church Guildford with Guildford Methodist Church, Quarry Street, Guildford, GU1 3UA

Price: £9–£10

B.T. Batsford Ltd are delighted to announce that Abrams & Chronicle Books Ltd will become their new distributor for the UK, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Abrams & Chronicle Books will be looking after the sales and distribution of the Batsford and Pitkin lists, via Macmillan Distribution.

Polly Powell, Owner of B.T. Batsford said: ‘We are delighted to be embarking on this new UK sales and distribution agreement with Abrams & Chronicle Books. Their patent expertise in the gift and heritage sectors is particularly appealing for the exciting relaunch of Batsford.’

Inez Munsch, Managing Director of Abrams & Chronicle Books was enthusiastic about the new collaboration, ‘We’re thoroughly delighted to be partnering with Batsford and Pitkin, I very much admire their creativity and dedication to producing innovative, quality lead publishing’.

Abrams & Chronicle Books will be selling and distributing Batsford and Pitkin titles from August onwards.

About B.T. Batsford

Batsford Ltd was established in 1843 and is a leading publisher of arts, textiles, architecture, design, heritage and chess, with authors including bestselling colouring book illustrator Millie Marotta. In the last two decades, Batsford has been a part of other publishing companies, most recently under Pavilion Books. As of 1 December 2021, Batsford, along with the Pitkin imprint, forms­ the privately owned company B. T. Batsford Ltd.

About Abrams & Chronicle Books Ltd

Abrams & Chronicle Books Ltd are a UK based sales and distribution company founded in 2010 by two of North America’s most renowned and successful illustrated book publishers. Their illustrious lists include bestselling and globally renowned authors, illustrators, designers, artists, chefs and photographers.

In addition to representing both ABRAMS and Chronicle Books in the UK and Europe they also sell and distribute books, stationery and gift products from: Ridley’s, Petit Collage, Games Room, V&A Publishing. Princeton Architectural Press, Knock Knock, Em & Friends, Galison Mudpuppy, Brass Monkey, Twirl, SelfMadeHero, Michelin, Magic Cat and Smith Street Books. www.abramsandchroniclebooks.co.uk

Illustration © Eleanor Crow

Join Christopher Beanland as he introduces his book Unbuilt: Radical Visions of a Future That Never Arrived

The most exciting architectural projects never built, from a dome over Manhattan to rolling pavements in Berlin; Christopher Beanland tells the stories of the plans, drawings and proposals that have emerged since the 20th century in an unparalleled era of optimism in architecture.

Many of these grand projects stayed on the drawing board, some were flights of fancy that simply could not be built, and in other cases test structures or parts of buildings did emerge in the real world.

In this talk featuring rich visuals, we go on a journey into how London, New York, Berlin, Glasgow, Tokyo and other world cities could have looked if the planners, architects and dreamers had their way. The book features the work of world famous 20th century architects Buckminster Fuller, Geoffrey Bawa, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and Archigram, as well as contemporary architects such as Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, Will Alsop and Rem Koolhaas.

Including proposals such as plug-in cities, moving cities, revolving skyscrapers, bridges between countries and overhead motorways, many of them were just ahead of their time, and some, thankfully, we were always better without.

Tickets cost £8 / £30 with a copy of the book (all tickets include a drink)

Christopher Beanland is a journalist and author who specialises in architecture and travel writing. He is the author of Lido: A dip into outdoor swimming pools: the history, design and people behind them, Concrete Concept: Brutalist buildings around the world as well as two novels. He writes cultural journalism for newspapers and magazines around the world including The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, Mr Porter, British Airways and EasyJet. Christopher lives in London.

Image credits:

LOMEX, NEW YORK, USA 1967–71 – Model of Paul Rudolph’s LOMEX, wide view with transit hub. Inside the superstructure that Paul Rudolph envisaged. Image credit: Library of Congress

HOOK, HAMPSHIRE, UK 1965 – Idea for how Hook town centre could look. Image credit: London Metropolitan Archives, City of London GLC/DG/PUB/091/020

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BECOME OF SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1957 -Paul Boissevain and Barbara Osmond’s design, which won third place in the international competition, 30 January 1957. Image credit: Fairfax Photographic Archive/Sydney Morning Herald/Stuart McGladrie