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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
David Barnett

‘They made it look so easy’: traditional craft of bookbinding rejuvenated for the TikTok age

A book bound and customised by Geena of ‘beaudelaireslibrary’.
A book bound and customised by Geena of ‘beaudelaireslibrary’. Photograph: @baudelaireslibrary/Instagram

The videos often begin with every bibliophile’s nightmare: a person ripping the covers off a book.

They are not vandals, however; they are bookbinders, taking part in a growing trend for replacing the covers of favourite works to make unique hardback editions, and posting about their creations on TikTok and Instagram.

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