BOP – Books on Photography – is an annual festival bringing together a wide-ranging group of photobook publishers, booksellers and photographers from across Europe. This year BOP is in collaboration with Bristol Photo Festival, and will be held across Martin Parr Foundation, the Royal Photographic Society and the Paintworks Event Space, Bristol.
The festival provides an opportunity for like minded people to come together. Photographers, book lovers, publishers, artists and collectors join for a weekend to explore the medium of the photobook.
Join us for the festival to meet and chat with many of the photographers and publishers behind some of the great photobooks, new and old. The festival is accompanied by a programme of artist talks, events, book signings, street food, coffee and beer. Publishers showcasing new work, including GOST, Thames and Hudson, Hoxton Mini Press, Setanta Books, Stanley Barker and many more, with over 50 stall holders joining for the weekend. Events include a BOP party on the Friday evening and a Photo Pub Quiz on the Saturday evening, hosted by Setanta Books. The Caravan Gallery are also joining the weekend, with their caravan situated between MPF and The RPS showing a selection of works from their many projects .
Local Bristol brewery Lost and Grounded will set up a pop-up bar and there will be street food from Bristol Eats.
The talks programme is curated around new work coming out, as well as to continue conversations around key issues. Giya Makondo-Wills will be discussing race, representation and de-colonisation in the photobook, and Trolley Books will be sharing their experiences of publishing and the photobook industry over the past 20 years, among many other artists who will be discussing their latest publications. Everyone attending the talks is welcome to join the conversations!
See below for the lineup, with full details and booking here.
SAT 23 OCT
10.00 – 10.50 / Kirsty Mackay
11.00 – 11.50 / Matt Stuart
12.00 – 12.50 / Casey Orr
14.00 – 14.50 / Nick Hedges
15.00 – 15.50 / Marilyn Stafford
16.00 – 16.50 / Charlie Phillips
SUN 24 OCT
10.00 – 10.50 / Jon Tonks
11.00 – 11.50 / Helen Sear
12.00 – 12.50 / Giya Makondo-Wills with Kelly O’Brien
14.00 – 15.15 / Trolley Books at 20
15.30 – 16.20 / Robin Maddock with Johny Pitts
Many book signings will be held throughout the weekend, as follows
SAT 23 OCT
11.00 / Kirsty Mackay, RPS
11.00 / Carolyn Mendelsohn, @ Bluecoat Press, Event Space
12.00 / Martin Parr @ MPF, Event Space
12.15 / Matt Stuart @ Setanta Books, Event Space
12.45 / Martin Salter @ Setanta Books, Event Space
13.00 / Casey Orr, RPS
13.00 / Giya Makondo-Wills @ Lost Light Recordings, Event Space
13.00 / Guy Bolongaro, Anna Fox and Leah Gordon @ Here Press, Event Space
13.30 / Maria Lax @ Setanta Books, Event Space
14.00 / Michael Alberry @ Besides Press, Event Space
14.00 – 16.00 / Photobook Club Collective, incl. Marc Wilson’s launch of A Wounded Landscape, Event Space
15.00 / Nick Hedges, RPS
15.00 / Chris Hoare @ Besides Press, Event Space
15.00 / Lola & Pani @ Palm Studios, Event Space
15.00 / Billy Barraclough @ ICVL, Event Space
15.00 / Huw Alden Davies @ iPigeon, Event Space
15.30 / Matthew Thorne – Jingo was born in the slum @ Jane and Jeremy, Event Space
15.50 / Nigel Ready @ VIKA, MPF Gallery
16.00 / Jamie Dormer Durling @ ICVL, Event Space
16.00 / Billy Barraclough @ Besides Press, Event Space
16.30 / Valerie Mather, MPF Gallery
16.30 / Jermaine Francis, MPF Gallery
16.30 / Jesse Alexander, to launch The Silent Land, MPF Gallery
SUN 24 OCT
12.00 / Helen Sear, RPS
14.00 / Kelly O’Brien @ ICVL, Event Space
16.30 / Robin Maddock, MPF Gallery
Follow @BOP_bristol on Instagram for more information as it is released.
BOP is produced by the Martin Parr Foundation and the Royal Photographic Society.