| Alcuin Society |
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The Alcuin Society is a voluntary association of people who care about the past, present and future of fine books. Founded in 1965 on the inititiative of Geoff Spencer and six other Vancouver bibliophiles, it is the only non-profit organization in Canada dedicated to the entire range of interests related to books and reading. These interests include authorship, publishing, book design and production, bookselling, book buying and collecting, printing, binding, papermaking, calligraphy and illustration. The Society’s two main goals are to promote a wider appreciation of books and reading and to support excellence in book design and production. In support of these goals, it sponsors educational programmes, publishes a journal, and offers a prestigious award for excellence in Canadian book design. The name “Alcuin” honours the memory of Alcuin Of York (c. 735 to 804 A.D.), Abbot of St. Martin at Tours, a man who cared deeply about books and literacy. As Charlemagne’s “Minister of Culture”, and a respected teacher, Alcuin encouraged the study and preservation of ancient texts, contributed to the development of the lowercase alphabet and helped establish numerous schools and libraries. BOOK DESIGN AWARDS Since 1981 the Alcuin Society has sponsored the only national competition that recognizes and celebrates fine book design in Canada. Each year, publishers submit books to a panel of expert judges, who give the Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada. PUBLICATIONS Since its founding the Society has produced twelve limited edition books, ten chapbooks and pamphlets, and over fifty keepsakes and broadsides. In the best tradition of fine private presses, all are superbly printed and designed. Many are out of print and some remain for sale to members. Some back issues of ''Amphora'' remain in print. ''Amphora'', the Society's quarterly journal, covers a wide range of topics related to the book arts: collecting, typography, type design, type-setting, calligraphy, paper-making, ornamentation, illustration, printing and binding. FURTHER READING The Alcuin Society fonds is held at Rare Books and Special Collections, University Of British Columbia . EXTERNAL LINKS |
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