By Leaves We Live 2008: A celebration of artists' books and small presses

This annual one day fair at the Scottish Poetry Library has a different theme each year. Browse a range of stalls and displays, and choose from events running throughout the day.

Saturday 27 September 2008, 11-6 pm.

The annual one day fair at the Scottish Poetry Library.

• Stalls, displays and talks.
• Drop in to browse or buy
• Meet publishers, artists and poets from Scotland and beyond
• Listen to talks on poetry and art publishing

For readers, writers, artists, designers, publishers – all welcome. All events are free.

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Exhibiting artists and presses

There will be more stalls than ever before, and lots of new exhibitors:

Artistsbooksonline.com; Isabell Buenz; The Caseroom Press; Andrew Eason; Essence Press; David Faithfull; Grazyna Fremi, Fremi Books; The Fruitmarket Gallery Bookshop; Joanna Gibbs, Rag-and-Bone Shop Books; Thomas Gravemaker; Knucker Press; Caroline List; Mariscat Press; Alice Melvin; Moschatel Press; New Arcadian Press; Plain Edition; Roncadora Press; Anne Rook; Second Century Press, Edinburgh College of Art; Scottish Pamphlet Poetry; Shoestring Press; Stichill Marigold Press; Jenny Smith; Weproductions; Wild Hawthorn Press: the Archive of Ian Hamilton Finlay

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Events

A schedule of talks will run throughout the day. All are approximately 30 minutes long, no booking required. Our themes this year include printing, to coincide with the 500 Years of Printing in Scotland celebrations.

12.00 The Pleasure of Printing

Thomas Gravemaker talks about how he got involved in letterpress printing and the role it has played and is still playing in his professional life as a graphic designer.

1pm The Shared World of Reading, and the Book Artist

Books are the most trusted vessel for the voyage across time and space from oneself to another. Book artists use the promise of reading to help us encounter their work in particular ways. Andrew Eason explores the links between reader, artist and the book form.

2pm Different Methods, Different Results : Printing & Artists' books

Artists exhibiting at the fair discuss the important choice of printing method in the creation of their artists' books. Several short informal talks with the chance to ask questions.

3.30pm Word on the Street

Verbal and visual delights, and a love of letter press printing. Leonard McDermid talks about his Stichill Marigold Press.

4.30pm Mariscats and other Hats

Hamish Whyte talks about 25 years of Mariscat Press, and draws our talks to a close with a reading from his poetry.

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Exhibition

The Space Of The Page

The fair will coincide with our autumn/winter exhibition The Space Of The Page. Is the page a mere support for the poem, or can it be a space in itself, charged with possibility and implication? Taking Stephané Mallarmé 's Un Coup de Dés as a starting point, and looking at different approaches in the work of Charles Olson, Eugen Gomringer, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Edwin Morgan and others, this exhibition will draw on the Scottish Poetry Library's extensive twentieth century collections to explore how words can resonate within the space of the page. Curated by Thomas A Clark and Julie Johnstone.

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"By Leaves We Live" is an annual event at the Scottish Poetry Library. The theme changes each year to reflect areas of interest in the poetry and art publishing world.

For further information contact Julie Johnstone: julie.johnstone@spl.org.uk