First presented in July 2011, the Book & Magazine Fair brought to Ireland over 600 books, magazines and fanzines never seen in Ireland before. These were broadly focused around Photography and Visual Culture from around the world. It reflected the evolution of the photo book into the photobook as we know it, far better designed and more conceptually engaged, and demonstrated the boom in publishing and especially self-publishing. Furthermore, it put in evidence the lack of access to such materials in Ireland, in bookshops just as much as in public and university libraries, incapable of staying up to date because of persistent underfunding.

A decade later, the excitement for the printed matter in Ireland keeps growing despite the ever presence of the digital channels, with means of production and dissemination now widely available thanks precisely to very same technologies. In The Library Project, PhotoIreland’s space in Dublin’s Temple Bar, we have experienced over the years the advent of new publications, run in their majority by young and ambitious individuals wanting to share their passion for certain disciplines or lifestyles. Others, carefully produced and published elaborate books to promote their written or photographic work, adding entrepreneurship to their skills set.

The Book & Magazine Fair will showcase a selection of publications from the PhotoIreland Collection that represents this search for creative independence. Adding to this particular focus with a look at contemporary practices, the fair will present the latest publications from invited publishers and individuals from all over the world.

The Book & Magazine Fair is a place where you can relax and enjoy a wealth of publications that are still rarely seen in Ireland. You are welcome to visit, grab one, sit down, and read. The fair is complemented by the museum’s bookshop: The Library Project opens sister shop as a temporary space for the month of July, to give visitors the opportunity to bring home many of these publications.

List of Publishers

The list of publishers and artists presented at the fair include:

• Auslöser
• Blackbook Publications
• Böhm Kobayashi
• Blow Photo
• Booklab
• Brave Books
• Cornerkiosk Press
• Daylight Books
• European Photography Magazine
• Four Corners Books
• Fraglich Publishing
• PhotoIreland
• Pogo Books
• Setanta Books
• Tangerine Press
• The Eriskay Connection
• Zero-G

Aside from these publishers, a selection of items from the PhotoIreland Collection is on display, complemented by the Kassel Dummy Award Showcase, and the Photobook Week Aarhus Dummy Award Showcase.