The Fox and the Star is a beautifully crafted tale of loss, friendship and discovery from award-winning illustrator and author Coralie Bickford-Smith. This exhibition will tell the fascinating story of the book’s conception and production, with original illustrations and rarely seen proofs. Taking inspiration from William Morris’s Kelmscott Press, every physical detail of this modern classic, from the cloth binding to the carefully chosen paper, has a ‘definite claim to beauty’.

This exhibition will appeal to all ages, from serious book lovers to families who will be able take part in hands-on activities. William Morris’s Kelmscott Press edition of Reynard the Fox, one of Coralie’s key inspirations, will also be on display.

Coralie Bickford-Smith graduated from Reading University where she studied Typography and Graphic Communication, and currently works in-house at Penguin Books. Her designs for the covers of the Penguin Classics clothbound series have attracted international acclaim and refer back to the world of Victorian book bindings.

In 2015 Coralie wrote and illustrated her own book, The Fox and the Star, which was published by Penguin and won Waterstone’s Book of the Year.

Kindly supported by Fullers Builders, Walthamstow.

Image credit: Thomas Lehman