Introduction to:
The Poetics of Book-binding
More than just a craft, bookbinding is an act of rhythm, patience, and quiet discovery. The Poetics of Book-binding is a hands-on workshop exploring the art of making books—not just as objects, but as vessels for thought, feeling, and self-expression.
Through traditional binding techniques, intuitive approaches to structure, and an emphasis on the relationship between form and content, participants will learn to create books that hold more than just words. Each session is an invitation to slow down, work with your hands, and engage with the deeper rhythms of the creative process.
Whether you’re a writer looking to bind your words or a facilitator for creative community projects, these workshops offer a space to learn, experiment, and craft with intention.
Workshops are available for individuals, groups, and organisations. If you'd like to host or attend a session, get in touch.
Esher College (Christopher Knowles Facilitated)
Joshua introduced the group of young poets to the ideas of book binding and using tangible, tactile objects to share their poetry rather than digital screens. Getting immersed in the guided process of folding and binding paper to be elevated from the mental trappings of modern youthhood. Using the library of books available and their own that had just been bound, the poets then crafted poems prompted by random pages and words they fell upon.
Community Collaboration
Workshops & Creating Space
“Blossom has inspired poets for generations. Young people from Ham Youth Club took part in a series of poetry writing workshops, facilitated by local poet, Lisa Jennings”
This collection brings together the voices of young poets from Ham Youth Club, capturing their thoughts on spring, growth, and change. Using the poems from Lisa’s workshop, Joshua facilitated a book binding session with the poets and other youth club members, filled with creativity and conversation, to explore further (through craft) what blossom means to them—both in nature and in life.
Supported by Ham House (National Trust) and shaped within its historic surroundings, these poems reflect the beauty of the season, the passing of time, and the small moments that make up something bigger.
See More on the National Trust’s Website
© JDH 2025
Poetry Book 2025
11cm x 17.5cm
Coptic Stitch Case Bound
The Nature of the Eighth is a poetic journey through love, lust, loss, and the shifting terrains of memory.
Told through fragments of thought, dream, and place, these poems slip between the mythic and the everyday—where desire transforms, moments dissolve, and the self is constantly being rewritten.
A meditation on the spaces between what was felt and what remains.
Wood Engraved Covers Loosely Bound
Magazine
2024
"The Unseen Thread" is a curated collection of zines, featuring conversations with individuals exploring the concept of flow in various contexts. Each zine is meticulously crafted with quality paper and thread binding, and the covers are engraved with the title and a back illustration. Inspired by Daoism, the design emphasizes simplicity and harmony, reflecting the project's deeper exploration of interconnectedness and creativity.
At Well Books Fair
2025
A nomadic piece of book architecture, The Well Bookcase is a home for books to be experienced in their most natural essence. Commissioned by Joshua Hester to support book workshops and showcases, designer and maker Oli Saxby brought this vision into reality—a structure that moves with the stories it holds, creating space for books to live, be shared, and be felt.