Bookbinder & Aspirant Publisher
Where handbound and digital meet...
I bind handbound leather books that I sometimes sell here. These are usually biblical and early Christian texts that I have typeset and published myself under the Paradosis Press imprint. If you don't see any here, that is because they have sold out. I don't take commissions, but usually put a batch of books up for sale and announce the details the day before. Please follow me on Instagram or Facebook to be notified of updates.
However, I am also starting to sell digital packages that will enable anyone with a printer and a bit of glue to bind their own book. These Bind-Your-Own-MiniBook packages are still in development and this website will hopefully be updated soon, with news of similar packages for my larger hand-sized books.
This is a digital product that consists of four PDF files that will enable you to bind your own MiniBook of St John's Gospel. The package consists of the following four files:
There is also a video tutorial of the whole process on YouTube, together with links to additional options.
Please note that this product is intended to be printed on A4 paper. There is also a Letter version of the same product - if you are in the USA, or anywhere else that uses Letter paper, please rather buy that version!
The text in this Gospel is that of the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. However, the contractions (don't, won't, etc.) have been removed. The type size is 7.5 points and it contains 157 pages of text, plus three blank pages.
Please note that the files in this digital product are copyright to Annesi Bindings. You may print them out as often as you like, but you may not reproduce them digitally. The books made with these products may not be sold. While I would be open to requests to sell them in person for a Church or charity fundraiser, please check this with me first.
This Bind-Your-Own-MiniBook package is still in development and is therefore being sold at a 50% discount for a limited period. Pay what you want pricing is enabled for those who intend to make more extensive use of them and/or want to make a contribution to the development of future editions. I intend to both add new titles and add additional options for covers and endpages in future versions. If you experience any problems or discover any errors, please let me know!
Macrina Walker
I have loved books for as long as I can remember, but becoming a bookbinder was an unexpected development. I read, wrote, and edited texts in a previous life, and even dabbled in layout. But I never stopped to think about how a book is actually held together. That changed when I entered an enclosed monastery in the Netherlands and was assigned to work in its bookbindery. I was gradually initiated into the various facets of bookbinding and discovered, to my joy, that binding could be combined with various creative impulses to create works of real beauty.
I later left the monastery in order to become an Orthodox Christian. Returning to South Africa, I turned to bookbinding as a way of supporting myself.
More recently still, I have been returning to the world of typesetting and layout as I have begun to produce my own text blocks. In this way I hope that I will be able to share with others treasures that I have discovered along the way,