The Bookbinders’ Guild of New York Celebrates Book Show’s 20th Anniversary

The New York Book Show, which awards quality in the design, graphics, production, printing and binding of books, is considered by many people in the industry to be one of the most prestigious events on the annual book-publishing calendar.

The Bookbinders’ Guild of New York staged the annual event—which is celebrating its 20th year—March 20th at Café St. Barts on Park Avenue in New York City, and this year, unlike the previous few, it didn’t even snow. A great white tent covering the outdoor terrace, which serves as an outdoor cafe when the weather is warmer, greeted those who attended the show. On entering the tent, show-goers caught a glimpse of the show inside through the entryway on the far end. There, in a room bedecked with orchids, and gold and silver balloons, the award winners—chosen from more than a thousand entries in a day of judging that took place just before Thanksgiving—filled the Great Hall at St. Barts, where a piano player tucked in a corner alcove provided the background music for a crowd of well over 500.