Shutter Hub Pop-Up Photobook Library

About the Open Call

Launching alongside the Shutter Hub OPEN 2026 at Cambridge University, our exciting new Pop-Up Photobook Library will run for the full duration of the exhibition – over 10 weeks – and will include two weeks as part of the famous Cambridge Festival, giving participating photographers and publishers the opportunity to showcase their books to a diverse audience of over 45,000 festival goers (on top of our already projected audience of over 10,000 visitors!) Our Pop-Up Photobook Library will feature a curated selection of photobooks, zines, and independent publications created by photographers and publishers from around the world. Our goal is to highlight a broad selection of photobooks ranging across as many genres and themes as possible. For the past few years, we’ve showcased creativity in print through the Shutter Hub Book & Zine Fair, a one-day event held alongside our much-loved OPEN exhibitions at Cambridge University’s Alison Richard Building, home of CRASSH (Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities). Now we want to make that platform more impactful and accessible for a much wider audience – in the form of a Pop-Up Photobook Library! The Photobook Library will be open to everyone and fully accessible to the public to come in and view the books any time they like (as long as the building is open!) and will be featured as part of our Curator’s talk and tour taking place during Cambridge Festival. We will also produce an online catalogue of every publication featured in the library, providing a means for people to buy directly from the photographers, to get in touch, share and ask questions. Whether you are an emerging photographer with your first zine, or an established publisher with a series of photobooks, we invite you to submit your work and become part of this library of creativity. We can’t wait to see your work and help share it with the world. Deadline for entries: Thursday 27 November 2025, 5pm UK Time. Deadline for selected books to be received: 07 January 2026. Entry fee: Pay what you can, with a minimum donation of £25. Shutter Hub Pop-Up Photobook Library 19 January – 02 April 2026 Art at the ARB / Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, University of Cambridge, Alison Richard Building, 7 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DT. RULES Before submitting your application, please make sure to read the terms and conditions below carefully. ENTRY FEES This opportunity is ‘pay what you can’, with a minimum donation of £25. We ask you to donate based on your means – if you are able to donate more than the minimum entry fee, please do. Please help support the work we do by sharing this opportunity with other photographers too. Photographers, Publishers, and Agents are all eligible and encouraged to submit work, and there is no limit to the number of titles contributors can submit. Please note that each title must be entered in its own submission. Successful applications will need to provide one copy of the selected publication to Shutter Hub. Please note that postage costs will be covered by the photographer. If photographers would like their publication returned at the end of the Shutter Hub OPEN 2026 Pop-Up Photobook Library, please be aware that return postage and customs costs will be the responsibility of the photographer. Deadline for Entries: Thursday 27 November 2025, 5pm UK Time. Selected books must be received by Shutter Hub by 07 January 2026. If your book arrives after this date, we may not be able to include it in the Photobook Library. For successful submissions outside the UK, please note that the photographer bears responsibility for any customs charges that be incurred. SUBMISSION TERMS AND CONDITIONS Shutter Hub reserves the right to display, reproduce and publish in any media any entry, without payment, for the purpose of the project and its promotion and publicity. Copyright remains with the originator and each photographer shall be deemed to warrant that they own the entire copyright in the work or that they have permission from the licensee and/or copyright owner/s for the uses and that all necessary model releases and clearances have been obtained. If relevant, insurance of the artist’s work is the responsibility of the artist. Shutter Hub bears no responsibility for loss or damage to books included in the Photobook Library, and books are provided by the photographer with the knowledge that Shutter Hub can not reimburse photographers for lost or damaged work. We hope to accept as many books as possible, but please be aware that we reserve the right to not put on public display work that may be offensive to a family audience. Please make sure you read and agree with the above information before you submit your application. By submitting your application, you are agreeing to abide by the terms and conditions and the information set out above. Pop-Up Photobook Library application requires filling fields like First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Phone Number, Address, Postcode, Name of Photobook, Connection to this Photobook, About your Photobook (200-500 words), Featured Photographers, Publisher, Release Date, RRP (£), Website/URL, Additional Information, Social Media Handles. Images: supply .jpeg images, 2500px wide, of the front cover and a selection of internal pages (max 10 images). Donation: minimum donation of £25. Agree to Terms and conditions.

What is Offered

Opportunity to showcase photobooks to a diverse audience of over 45,000 festival goers and 10,000 exhibition visitors. Inclusion in an online catalogue providing a means for people to buy directly from the photographers.

Requirements

Submit one copy of the selected publication. Cover postage costs for submission and return. Adhere to submission terms and conditions. Provide .jpeg images (2500px wide, max 5MB) of the front cover and internal pages, named with photographer's name and title of work.

How to Apply

Submit via the online form. The form requires personal details (name, email, phone, address), photobook details (name, connection, description, featured photographers, publisher, release date, RRP, website), social media handles, and up to 10 .jpeg images (2500px wide, max 5MB) of the book cover and internal pages. A minimum donation of £25 is required. Applicants must agree to the terms and conditions.