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The texture, colour and smell of handmade books bring the senses back into the experience of reading. Tara Publishing, run by a collective of writers and artists, including many tribal artisans based in Chennai, India, create books to treasure that are both radical and witty. Inspired by older forms, Tara transforms the richness of India’s visual arts’ traditions through contemporary design into fine book making. Each one is produced entirely by hand employing the skills of 12 printers and binders in their fairtrade workshop. Their techniques – whether screen-printing and letter-pressing on paper made from a mixture of cotton cloth waste, tree bark, rice husks and grass, or using beaded strings and special boxes – make every page an original artwork. And if you like the books we’ll take it as read that you’ll enjoy the Tara exhibition at St Brides, the world’s foremost printing and graphic arts library. 6,000,000 Impressions:

Handcrafting the Book Experience, St Bride Library, Fleet Street London EC4 T: 020 7353 4660 www.stbride.org, illustrated talk and exhibition preview Tues 8 May; exhibition 9 May-14 June, www.tarabooks.com

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