Bookbinder will keep trade alive
IT’S HARD not to become a book worm when you grow up in a family like Toowoomba woman Karen McGuire’s.
She was born and raised in the United Kingdom, where her parents met and worked at the famous Bayntun’s in Bath.
Naturally, with parents who lived and breathed creating beautiful books, it’s no surprise that she developed a love for them herself.
“Dad used to bring books home and mum would be sewing them together at the dinner table,” she said.
Learning how to be a bookbinder wasn’t a simple task though, as Mrs McGuire is now finding out as her father is passing down his skills to her in an effort to keep the traditional trade alive.
“I just love all of it,” she said.
“It’s really satisfying to be able to find an old book that’s in pieces and put it back together again.
“The amount of care that goes into restoring a book is amazing.
“People are really nervous about handing over their books so you give it the same care and attention as you would your own.
“I’m not sure how many professional bookbinders are out there now, but I really want to keep mum and dad’s trade alive.”
Mrs McGuire, whose family moved to Australia from the UK about 15 years ago, started learning the trade about three years ago, but still has a long way to go.
She said there was more to making a book than people thought.
She had to learn how to sew the pages together, create the headband, learn how to put together the book cover and how to decorate it.
“My dad’s apprenticeship in gold leafing alone was six years,” she said.
“It’s not just something that you can learn out of a textbook; you’ve got to be patient and take time to learn the tricks of the trade.”
You can check out Mrs McGuire’s work on Facebook by searching for her page Karen McGuire Bookbinder.