Newsletters

The Society issues a quarterly, full-colour Newsletter, with cover dates of March, June, September and December. The intention of the Newsletter is to publish a mixture of original material concerning contemporary bookplate artists, information on bookplate-related events such as auctions, sales and exhibitions, and items of historical interest. Most issues also feature a report from our trans-Tasman cousins at the Auckland Ex Libris Society. Each issue contains full-colour illustrations of bookplate designs. Members receive hard copies of the Newsletter, sometimes containing a tipped-in, original bookplate.

An Index to the first 20 issues of the Newsletter was compiled in early 2011 and published as a Supplement to the Newsletter. Complimentary copies have been sent to all subscribers and there are a number of paper copies available from the Editor for $10 each including Australia/New Zealand postage.

Newsletters (except for the most recent issue) are available as (low resolution) pdf files through the links below. Click on the Newsletter number below (eg Newsletter no. 13) to open the link.

Most back issues are out of stock, and we are offering all issues of the Newsletter in high-resolution, colour pdf files on a single CD-ROM for $25. Please contact the Editor if you would like to order one.

If you have any ideas or contributions for the Newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact the Editor, Dr Mark Ferson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or the Designer, Mary Keep at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Contributions need neither be long nor academic; anything which may be of interest to bookplate lovers, including Letters to the Editor, Book or Exhibition Reviews, or any short note, will be cheerfully and gratefully received.

Newsletter no. 28, dated March 2013, is in preparation - the Editor is soliciting material for it at present. The main article will be a report written by Tauno Piiroinen on the 34th FISAE Congress held last August in Naantali, Finland; the occasional series 'Not in Peake' will show the previously unrecorded bookplate of ad man, publisher and entrepreneur Ken Murray and wife Tops; and notices of several international bookplate competitions which are to take place later this year.

Newsletter no. 27, December 2012, was posted out to members on time; it feature more articles with an international flavour - Benoit Junod's bookplate-related visit to Shanghai, a report on the book arts and bookplates from a member roaming around northern Europe, a note from the Society of Wood Engravers (UK) on a lucky bookplate find at a car boot sale, and much more!

Newsletter no. 26, September 2012, featured a report on the Society's fifth annual general meeting, a review of a novel bookplate exhibition held at Melbourne's Firestation Print Studio and a review of Steven Miller's new book, Dogs in art which, of course, featured some dog-themed bookplates.

Newsletter no. 25, June 2012

Newsletter no. 24, March 2012

Newsletter no. 23, December 2011

Newsletter no. 22, September 2011

Newsletter Supplement, an index to the first 20 issues of the Newsletter plus a short illustrated article on 'Thematic bookplate collecting', was posted to members with Newsletter no. 21.

Newsletter no. 21, June 2011

Newsletter no. 20, March 2011

Newsletter no. 19, December 2010

Newsletter no. 18, September 2010

Newsletter no. 17, June 2010

Newsletter no. 16 , March 2010

Newsletter no. 15 , December 2009

Newsletter no. 14, September 2009

Newsletter no. 13, June 2009

Newsletter no. 12, March 2009

Newsletter no. 11, December 2008

Newsletter no. 10, September 2008