What is an artist's book?

An artist’s book is a medium of artistic expression that uses the form or function of the “book” as inspiration. Artists’ books embrace a range of approaches often experimenting with different materials to offer new ideas and interpretations of the world.

Artists’ Book Award

Manly Library launched the first Artists’ Book Award in 2011 with grant funding from the Library Council of New South Wales. This award is now hosted by the Northern Beaches Library Service every two years and attracts entries from around the world. Books are selected from the entries to form an exhibition. From the exhibited books, judges select books to be acquired and added to our library collection. 

The 2025 Artists' Book Award is open for submissions, closing 16 December 2024. Join the email list, send a message to ArtistBookAward@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au 

Our collection

The 100 plus artists’ books in the Northern Beaches Council Library collection are listed in our library catalogue. A selection of the collection is displayed at different library branches throughout the year. 

For further enquiries about the collection please contact us.

Our 2023 Acquisitions

The 2023 acquisitions were announced by judges Ben Brown and Katherine Roberts on Thursday 2nd March 2023 at the Manly Art Gallery and Museum.

Laura Castell (QLD)'WE ALL'2022$650
Viola Dominello (NSW)‘Sea Horses of Manly’2022$1000
Caren Florance (ACT)‘C:/Ovid’2022$500
Jeff Gardner (VIC)‘Lucy the Dragon’2022$1750
Kim Herringe (QLD)‘Sky dancers’2021$230
Jude Hungerford (NSW)‘[MIND]SCAPE’2021$460
Fran Ifould (NSW)‘Homage to a New Dawn’2022$1650
Roslyn Kean (NSW)'Crossings'2022$500
Margaret Manchee (VIC)'The Wheel'2022$396
Karen Neal (VIC)'Australian Magpie'2021$600
Glenda Orr and Kathy Boyle (AUS/NZ)'Exquisite Causes'2022$1990
Kat Parker (VIC)'The Tragic Tale of the Bramble Cay Melomys'2022$240

Our 2021 Acquisitions

The 2021 acquisitions were announced by judges Ross Heathcote and Anthea Boesenberg on Saturday 20th February 2021 at the Manly Art Gallery and Museum

Caren Florance (ACT)'L OO P'2019$450
Sally Mayman (NSW)‘Embrace’2020$860
Barbara Schmelzer (NSW)‘Blake’s Delay’2019$2700
Haein Song (UK)‘Pain Memory’2019$2,750
Peter Ward (NSW)‘Caravan of Despair’2020$1500
Kylie Watson (VIC)‘Come to Me’2020$1500
Aliki Yiorkas (NSW)‘Silk’2019$350

Our 2019 Acquisitions

The 2019 acquisitions were announced by judges Geoff Harvey and Katherine Roberts on Thursday 2 May 2019 at the Manly Art Gallery and Museum

Bernard Appassamy (NSW)'2,422 Haircuts'2019$1500
Hannah Caprice (VIC)'Animalgamations'2018$800
Josephine Duffy (NSW)'Postcards from the edges: from Sydney and Cork to Santander2018$1650
Salvatore Gerardi (NSW)'Coastal Lagoon'2019$2,200
Monica Oppen (NSW)'All Human Beings'2019$500
Wendy Sharpe (NSW)'Moroccan Scroll'2019$3000
Sandra Williams (NSW)'Life in the Splash Zone'2019$200
Lindy Yates (VIC)'Draw the line'2018$400

Our 2017 Acquisitions

The 2017 acquisitions were announced by judges Ben Rak and Michael Hedger on 30 March at the Creative Space.

Guy Begbie (Wales, UK)‘Brisbane Dérive’ (Route 9) 2016$1500
Gregory Day & Jiri Tibor Novak (VIC)‘A Smile at Arm’s Length’ 2016$2800
Nicci Haynes (ACT)‘…in my drawing costume…’ 2015$1650
Gita Mammen (VIC)‘Feverfew’ 2014$1,200
Alan Purdom (NSW)‘Silence’2017$950
Bronwyn Rees and Elizabeth Banfield (VIC)‘A Different Path’ 2015$1200
Michaela Stoneman (NZ)‘The Menagerie’2016$900

Our 2015 Acquisitions

Helen Malone and Jack Oudyn‘Chance’2014$500
Rob Kovitz‘According to Plan’2014$65
Caren Florance'The One Who Stopped’2014$350
Bronwyn Rees‘Country’2014$1,200
Bernard Appassamy‘The Book of Asylum’2013$1,500
Elizabeth Banfield‘Collected Dead Letters, Volume 2’2014$900
Mark Wingrave‘A Journey from One Reality to Another’2014$35
Annique Goldenberg‘Living Water: the river hid, logbook, codex’2014$750
Deanna Hitti‘Assimilated Museum’2015$2,200

Our 2013 Acquisitions

Danielle Creenaune (NSW)‘Unsent Letters 1’ 2012
Anne-Maree Hunter (NSW)‘Suburban Democracy’ 2012
Georgia Thorpe (VIC)‘In Praise of Shadows / Ties that Bind’ 2012
Sandra Winkworth (NSW)‘Hot Pie Portland’ 2012
Nicci Haynes (ACT)‘The Articulate Body’ 2012
Deanna Hitti (VIC)‘The Country Justice: containing the practice of the justices of the peace out of their’ 2013
Lyn Ashby (VIC)‘Ideo(t) Grammatica’ 2011

 

Our 2011 Acquisitions

Deidre Brollo (NSW)‘Untitled’ 2010
Angela Cavalieri (VIC)‘Cert Cosse Non Si Dicono’ 2010
Gwen Harrison and Sue Anderson (NSW)‘Someone Somebody Run’2010
Clyde McGill ( VIC)‘Atlas: Strongman’2010
Lise Melhorn-Boe (North Bay, Ontario, Canada)‘Body map’2009
Janis Nedela (WA)‘Palindrome No. 39 – MA/AM’2010
Alan Purdom (NSW)‘Homage to Homage’ 2010
Barbara Schmelzer (NSW)‘A Collection of Australian Animals’2010