Hanbury Press is a small independent press and bindery, founded by artist bookbinder Kate Rochester. It takes its name from a studio on Hanbury Street in London's East End, where the press began in 2004. The press produces bespoke bindings and limited editions using traditional crafts such as hand-binding and hand-printing/painting methods.

 

Kate spent her childhood in Devon before moving to London to study art history. After completing her BA, she trained in bookbinding at the London College of Printing. She later joined the bookbinding team at the Wyvern Bindery and undertook masterclasses at Studio 5 Book Arts in Barnes. Alongside her work in bookbinding and independent publishing, she held a longstanding role with Granta Magazine throughout the 1990s and 2000s, offering a complementary perspective on the publishing landscape.

 

An award-winning bookbinder, Kate currently works on commission and runs her independent press from her studio in East London. Commissions include bespoke bindings for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Diana Athill, Alan Garner, and Cynan Jones. In 2022, she became a QEST scholar after completing a year's study in design binding. She is currently a Licentiate of Designer Bookbinders.

 

Kate regularly teaches Book Arts at the London Centre of Book Arts and CityLit in London. The Hanbury Press website showcases her projects and provides a point of contact for anyone interested in book projects, commissions, or teaching opportunities.