The fine-press printer’s art of not forgetting – with Graham Moss

How Books Are Made

At the heart of everything book-like is a printer, standing at a hand-powered press, turning paper into pages.

When you hold a book that’s been typeset in metal, printed by hand on fine paper, bound and sewn with board and cloth, you realise with a visceral whoosh just how much a book can be a work of art.

In this episode, Arthur speaks with Graham Moss, the founder of Incline Press in Oldham, near Manchester in England. Incline Press works with poets and artists to make limited-edition books with hand-set, metal type on vintage machines. This year, Graham was awarded the prestigious Cobden Sanderson Award from the Society of Bookbinders for his work in hand printing and publishing.

Graham’s deep knowledge and rich story-telling is a joy to learn from, and reminds us that, no matter the technology we use, book-making has always been about people, love, and dedication.

Links from the show:

• Incline Press
• Incline Press on Instagram
• Video: Graham Moss on the Arab Press
• New Borders: the working life of Elizabeth Friedländer in the University of Victoria vault library
• Elizabeth Friedländer’s ‘Elisabeth’ typeface on Bauer Types
• Video: Graham Moss on Memento Mori : Memento Vivere
• Video: Page-by-page review of Memento Mori : Memento Vivere by Ubiquitous Books
• The launch of Punch & Judy
• Liverpool Book Art exhibition, October 2024
• Electric Book Works