BYOB: Building Book Fairs, Collective Publishing, and Making Space for Others
What happens when publishing becomes something you do together?
How do you build a book fair from scratch?
And what if the most important thing you publish isn't a book, but a space where others can participate?
For the final episode of Season 2 of Book Making as an Art Form, before the summer break, I spoke with Jordi de Vetten, co-founder of Bring Your Own Book, an independent collective that has become an important part of Amsterdam's publishing community.
Together with Susu Lee, Augustinas Milkus, and Lies Kelder, Jordi has spent the past few years building book fairs and publishing projects that invite emerging bookmakers, artists, and publishers to share their work.
Alongside the fair, the collective also runs Ryder Books, an imprint that has grown from the same collaborative spirit.
Our conversation begins with Jordi's own path into publishing.
Although he grew up surrounded by books and images, it wasn't until studying photography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie that books became something he wanted to make. That curiosity eventually led to the first Bring Your Own Book fair, created as an open platform where students and independent makers could share their publications without the barriers often found at larger fairs.
What began as a student initiative has gradually grown into a recurring event, but always at its own pace.
Rather than chasing scale, Bring Your Own Book has remained committed to collaboration, accessibility, and creating a space where people feel welcome to participate.
As Jordi puts it: "The biggest ambition is longevity rather than growing really big."
We also discuss what it takes to organise a self-funded collective, how decisions are made together, and why publishing can be as much about building communities as it is about producing books.
And before the summer begins, a little thank you to everyone who has listened, shared an episode, or followed along this season.
I'm incredibly grateful to all of the guests who generously opened up their practices and shared their stories, and to everyone who has joined me on this journey.
I hope you've enjoyed these conversations as much as I have.
Please enjoy our conversation below and until September! ;)
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Produced and hosted by Justina Nekrašaitė | The Book Photographer
Audio productions: Drexhage Media | Jasper Drexhage
Design: Thom Niessink
Recorded at Stedelijk Museum Library
Communication & promotion: Chana Levy
Intern: Chiara Tamborrino
Image stills: Anastasija Piroženko
❤️ Season 2 is supported by Pictoright, Het Cultuurfonds and many big-hearted individuals via Voordekunst.
With particular appreciation to our principal supporters: Ruth Higgins, Luminosity Lab, Eleonoor Jap Sam / Jap Sam Books, Silvia Robertelli, Wilco Art Books Amersfoort, and Marc Gijzen.
