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. 

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 Santander

2018

$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