I'm Barbara Simler, and I create all of Moon Bindery’s books in my studio in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.

Hand bookbinding is an ancient craft. For centuries, all books were bound by hand--the leather cut, the paper hand-torn, then everything sewn together by hand. This art was nearly lost in the 20^th century, as book-making machines replaced bookbinders, but lately there has been a renewed interest in books that are hand-made, that have a spirit and character that machine-made books don’t have.  Through my books, I’m working to preserve and carry on the art and craft of traditional hand bookbinding.

I make soft cover leather journals, sketchbooks, journals with quotes, and more. The designs of these books, which have decorative stitching on the spines, date back to the Middle Ages. I also make other, more "sculptural" books.