Press On: an adventure on a bicycle with a printing press visiting libraries

Press On took the printing bike from library to library across Britain printing bookmarks along the way. Each bookmark inspired by the words and images of writers and artists in support of public libraries.

Our libraries have been under enormous pressure and have mostly survived by local support. The project involved visiting as many libraries as I could (as far as Shetland) and working with artists and writers to produce a limited run of unique bookmarks for each library, all printed in situ at the library itself.

The project was funded by Crowdfunder and included producing specific letterpress printed things such as a full set of bookmarks which are now in the website shop. Also a wonderful new edition of a book by Paul Peter Piech called Ugly Pieces of Metal. There is a beautiful book written by Alan Bennett about the libraries in his life that was first published by the London Review of Books. The book was printed and published sometime in 2026 and available in the website shop. The book is illustrated by Jon McNaught.

The printing bike is a bespoke bicycle made for me by Robin Mather. It carries a letterpress Adana press, inks, type and blocks; everything for me to print a small print run at each stop along my journey.