Will Anthony

Will Anthony grew up with an interest in books and learning, although his family did not make enough money to provide him with much of an education. He taught himself as much as he could learn, finding jobs that put him in proximity to books. He grew to love the feeling of rough paper or smooth parchment under his fingers. Eventually he was able to become an apprentice as a book binding shop. He had expected to use his free time to "borrow" the books they were printing and read through them. However, he quickly found himself more drawn to the book binder himself. He could sit for hours listening to him and his wife explain the different techniques, different papers, and soon realized that he was more interested in the books themselves than the words within. Once his apprenticeship was over he continued to work for the book binder for a number of years, saving up enough money to start his own shop. He worked at that shop until his fingers began to betray him. Arthritis crippled his hands and made every movement painful. Even though he cannot personally bind books, he still spends his days in the shop, talking to anyone who will listen about books and the paper they are printed on.