Melbourne Rare Book Week (MRBW)  will be held from 29 June – 8 July 2018. Bookings are now open for over 40 free talks . See the Program  

What is it ? MRBW  includes a wide variety of interesting topics on book-related themes. There is something for all interests and taste. So, once again they welcome bibliophiles, established collectors and those new to book collecting. It culminates in the Melbourne Rare Book Fair.

For the past few years I have been involved in a few ways including being the official sketcher on location at many of the events during the week. To see my sketches from previous years , just type MRBW in the search box at the top right of the page and you will get a list of results to click-through to. These will give you an idea of some of the past events and what I sketch.

This year I will be sketching on location at many of the events, and am also involved in the Melbourne Library Service part of the program. I was commissioned to draw the posters  for the MRBW events. They have five events .

My original watercolour pencil drawings are on display on East Melbourne Library alongside some very interesting rare books that began the Gothic novel and later books that were influenced by them. My drawings also feature in the Melbourne Library Service brochure and their events in the MRBW program !!! It so exciting to see them in print and to be involved in this unique event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The planning for this year’s  week began as soon as 2017 event finished (and even before that). In February three of us spent a long weekend, watching classic films based on the classic (and very readable) Dracula. Ideas for the posters were put down on paper, there was lots of google image searching and putting sketching concepts on paper. 

            

All of this came together in Stage One this Saturday as we put up the exhibition of rare books, artifacts and my art work.

I also decided that it was about time that I read some of these classic (and not so classic) Gothic novels including Dracula, The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Castle of Otranto, A Sicilian Romance, The Raven. 

It has been a creative event so far and I am looking forward to attending and sketching the events in June/July. !