York typecaster and letterpress printer wins England Maker of the Year 2024
20th December 2024 | ANNOUNCEMENTS | OUR STORIES
Typecaster and letterpress printer Nick Gill has won this year’s inaugural England Maker of the Year Award, supported by the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, including a £1,000 prize awarded at a special presentation at Eltham Palace on Tuesday 26 November 2024.
The award celebrates a heritage craftsperson in England who has made an outstanding contribution to their craft within the previous year. It recognises a contribution that is far beyond the ordinary, either in pushing their craft to new levels, contributing to its promotion or continuation in an exceptional way.
Nick Gill has cast type for a wide range of prestigious clients, published eight well-received letterpress books, and printed presentation volumes for the University of York’s new Chancellor and for HM King Charles. He is a passionate advocate for the endangered crafts of type casting and letterpress printing; his commitment to quality and attention to detail also make him an exceptional teacher who has made a very significant contribution to preserving these crafts.
The two other finalists for the award were Phill Gregson, who trained as an apprentice wheelwright with his family and qualified through Hereford College of Technology in 2003, since when he has been made a Yeoman of the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights and Master Wheelwright, and Riina Õun, who has been a leather accessories maker specialising in leather gloves for over 20 years, since she learned the craft during her degree back in 2003. Recognising the endangered status of glove making, she has been teaching workshops internationally since 2017.
The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation supports innovative people working in field-based science, art and craft, teaching and protection of the natural world.