Katie Morley is an archive conservator and bookbinder whose practice bridges
craftsmanship, history, and care. Working with delicate materials and disappearing skills,
she repairs the old, constructs the new, and educates others on the long lives of books
and the fragile objects we inherit. Each piece she handles, whether a centuries-old
document or a freshly sewn leather-bound notebook, carries a story. Her job is to make
sure it lasts.

With over 15 years of experience in the heritage sector, Katie has worked at institutions
such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, Historic Royal Palaces, and multiple County
Archives around the UK. She first trained in the Conservation studio at Hertfordshire
Archives and Local Studies, and went on to complete a Master of Arts in Conservation of
Books and Archival Materials at Camberwell College of Art. Her route into the field was
sparked not in a classroom, but in a quiet moment of curiosity while volunteering in an
archive. A glimpse into a conservation studio, with the rattle of old paper and the caring
hands at work, became a turning point.

Katie’s practice today has two interconnected arms. The first is conservation: stabilising,
repairing, and restoring books and documents so they can continue to be used, studied, or
simply cherished. The second is bookbinding: making new books using both traditional
and experimental methods. She creates fully customisable bindings, from medieval-style
Gothic models to vibrant, hand-sewn notebooks with coloured text-block edges.

The work is deeply technical, but also sincerely human. Whether stabilising parchment,
mending a broken-down spine, or sewing new end-bands by hand, Katie works in ways
that respect both the object and its story. Even seemingly mundane details matter when
the goal is to preserve not just structure, but memory. The use of archival and
conservation-grade materials means that, with proper care, the items she works on will last
decades.

Her studio, launched in 2024 after a life-changing year of personal and professional
transformation, is both a workspace and a site of quiet activism. It offers a public face to a
largely invisible craft - one that many don’t realise is still practiced. With plans for future
workshops and open studio events, Katie hopes to pass on traditional skills and spread
awareness of what’s possible in conservation, preservation, and repair. “Even my mum

didn’t realise I could have saved her books after a flood,” she laughs. “We throw so much
away because we don’t know it can be saved.”

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Though her network is strong, built from years in the sector, her current practice is
refreshingly grassroots. Word of mouth, craft fairs, and in-person encounters sustain her
work. When she attends events, she brings her sewing frame along, stitching as she
chats, making books in real time - a living demonstration of care and continuity.
Katie’s work is precise, beautiful, and resolutely useful; but more than that, it is restorative.
It helps people reattach to the past, to what they’ve lost, or to what they didn’t know could
be rescued.