Book Works has a long history of championing artists at early or pivotal stages of their careers, often those who are without other institutional support. Giving genuine opportunity to new and emerging artists is core to our aims. We work with artists, writers and readers, to commission new, ambitious and innovative work in the form of artists books through our publishing programme, and offer specialist skills to create bespoke work through our bookbinding studio. Our approach is collaborative and transformative, aiming to commission artists from diverse backgrounds, and to work with audiences to create a change in the landscape of visual art and publishing.

Book Works is a registered charity, a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England, and has received the generous support from a number of trusts, foundations and other funding bodies. We are committed to making a positive impact to address inequality, discrimination and through our work, employment and audience engagement, pursue a programme that foregrounds social justice in the arts and an inclusive and supportive environment for all our staff, trustees, and various user groups, through a shared, reflective and open process. Our programme reflects our desire to work with artists and writers that are often unrecognised by mainstream institutions, or those from liberation groups or whose minority identity has historically marginalised them.

We are looking to appoint two new trustees who have an interest in contemporary art and enthusiasm for publishing, the public sector and audience engagement. We are looking for trustees to support and advocate for us, and those with knowledge, experience or skills as:

– Artists
– Curators
– Fundraisers
– Or those with a governance, legal or financial background.

We particularly welcome applicants from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds who are currently underrepresented on our board. The commitment would involve 4 meetings a year, and regular contact with the Directors of Book Works.

If you are interested or would like to know more please contact Gavin Everall at gavin@bookworks.org.uk. If you would like to apply, please send a brief cover note and your CV, also to gavin@bookworks.org.uk. The deadline for applications is 7 February 2022.

The second edition of small white monkeys: on self-expression, self-help and shame is out next week, with a beautiful new cover, new poems and a new introduction by Helen Charman. You can still order it at the pre-release price of £10 (reduced from £12) until the end of Friday 14 January.

Made through research into Glasgow Women’s Library’s Archive Collections and Lending Library, small white monkeys incorporates material from the library’s archives and the work of female creators past and present, including Anna Mendelssohn, Jean Rhys, Selima Hill, Adrian Piper, June Jordan, Denise Riley, Carolee Schneemann, Vahni Capildeo and Veronica Forrest-Thomson.

Sophie Collins grew up in Bergen, North Holland, and is now a lecturer at the University of Glasgow. She is the author of Who Is Mary Sue? (Faber, 2018) and small white monkeys (Book Works, 2017), and the editor of Currently & Emotion (Test Centre, 2016), an anthology of contemporary poetry translations; a sequel, Intimacy, is forthcoming. She is the translator, from the Dutch, of Lieke Marsman’s The Following Scan Will Last Five Minutes (Pavilion, 2019). Most recently, she has translated Marsman’s novel, The Opposite of a Person (Daunt Books, 2022). She is currently working on new poetry and prose.

Published by Book Works as part of the You Must Locate a Fantasy library commissions generously supported by Glasgow Women’s Library, Creative Scotland, and Arts Council England.