A new course for the Arvon programme this year, Poetry and Book Making at Lumb Bank was a hit. The photographs below - taken by bookmaker Rachel Hazell - give some insight into this innovative course. Rachel told us a bit more about what she got her poet-bookmakers to do:

"The students learnt basic folding and binding techniques on the first morning. This ‘hands on’ approach dispelled nerves and produced immediate results. A series of book forms, each made from a single sheet of photocopy paper, was completed before progressing to a simple sewn pamphlet, and finally a couple of decorative spine sewings (pearl dash and a chain stitch.)"

As well as making books, poet and co-tutor, Meg Peacocke, helped our writer-makers fill their books with poems - along with mid-week guest Lucy May Schofield. All in all, this exciting new course worked well and we hope to provide more opportunities like this in the future.