Friend Editions Is About Community

Image from One Night In Watford by Ewen Spencer

Originally from Yorkshire, England, Oliver Shaw studied graphic design at Leeds College of Art before moving to London, where he launched a design studio. After a stint in London, Shaw moved to New York, where he became immersed in the creative community. Inspired in part by the people he was meeting, he decided to launch the publishing platform Friend Editions, which is now in its third year.

“The name literally comes from the idea of working with friends. It was such a natural and easy name to come up with,” says Shaw. “I like to cultivate a lot of different friendships, and I try to actively build a small community of artists who I call friends and work with. Friend Editions helps to facilitate that.”

Along with its collaborative spirit, Friend Editions is notable for publishing titles with a strong narrative thread, a singular focus, or for resurrecting iconic themes. Highlights so far have included: Cowgirl Blues, a first-time collaboration between the ‘artist-muse duo’ Annabel Louise and Brittany Hoffner which encapsulates the cinematic history of the American West through strikingly original images. Jerry Hsu’s Lonley City, a tribute to New York shot entirely on iPhone whose success pushed the publishing imprint’s distribution capabilities to its limits. And most recently, One Night In Watford, a celebration of the seminal show Skins as told through never-before-seen images by the photographer Ewen Spencer. Here Shaw discusses his background in magazines, imposter syndrome, and his collaborative process.

You could call it an obsession

You launched Friend Editions in 2022. How did this sit with your existing work and practice as a graphic designer and art director?

With my old studio we were publishing books also. We all did it together but I had the passion and drive for it, you could call it an obsession. After I left I worked a little on my own but definitely felt a void left by publishing that I needed to fill. Publishing is basically an extension of my design and art direction practice, but with publishing I am the client so I get to do what I want, to an extent. I can design, curate, produce however I like and do it with people and artists I love.

Image from Yuki (Final Edit) by Imogene Barron

I learnt a lot from making magazines

You spent many years working at magazines, how do you think this might have informed your approach to books?

Working on magazines informed my approach to books and publishing tremendously. I learnt a lot from making magazines, especially fashion magazines. I feel that I worked with the best, and that is reflected in terms of how much I learnt. Pairings, sequencing, ordering etc, I think people who aren’t in publishing or who don’t know much about it as an industry overlook these skills, which is understandable, but they are one of the hardest parts of publishing. Knowing how to do these things both efficiently and well takes a lot of burden and pressure off making a publication of any kind.

What is the process like for working on the books and zines that you publish? How much input do you have?

I have a lot of input! Most of the time whoever I work with is happy for me to edit a little, design it, and lay it out. On the occasion someone comes to me with layouts etc I am more than happy to work to their vision, because most of the time I love what everybody does. It’s a fairly organic and, I hope, easy process with me. If the person behind the project and I get on well and I like the work, story, or idea, then the book or zine will get made. A lot of the time I aim to publish a handful of projects at once, for book fairs and the like. I like this pressure as I am logistically challenged so I find having a deadline like that is very helpful to work towards.

I first met Ewen while working on a magazine

What was it like to work on One Night In Watford? Particularly in the sense of looking back at such a specific era, with a photographer who has gone on to become a seminal name?

Skins 2007 was my era. I grew up watching it, and like a lot of my generation I aspired to how cool the characters all were, and how they much didn’t give a fuck. I first met Ewen while working on a magazine and I fell in love with his work, then later in our careers I met him in NYC to talk about another title (which is currently on hold). We ended up chatting about the book that became One Night in Watford, and of course it is a career highlight and one of the best and biggest things I could make. Ewen rules, he is so good to work with and I am happy I can call him a friend. The book has literally taken us around the world together to launch it: Slam Jam Milan, Record 28 Books London, Bookmarc NYC and soon Village and HIP Manchester too. I couldn’t be more grateful. I don’t want it to end.

The theme is a proclivity to make really good things

What draws you to the titles that you end up putting out? Are there any common themes across Friend Editions’ oeuvre?

Not really! Photography is probably at the fore, because it’s what I enjoy looking at. But I have made books for painters, cookbooks, tattoo artists, the list goes on. The theme is a proclivity to make really good things.

Of all of the books and zines you’ve put together, what have you learnt the most from?

Lonley City by Jerry Hsu, who is also one of my all-time favorite artists and people. Mainly the learnings were about logistics. NYC is small, the book is big, and we made a lot of books and sold a lot of them too. This meant it was really hard both to distribute and fulfill orders, and at the time I hadn’t figured out how to work with fulfillment places. I also didn’t want to cut anyone else in, as it was quite early on in the Friend Editions world. Huge mistake.

How do you think your approach as a publisher has evolved over the past three years that you’ve been running Friend Editions?

I think more of myself. I used to feel, and I still do to some extent, some sort of imposter syndrome. Now, though, I feel more validated. Being able to make so many beautiful titles, work with a plethora of incredible artists, travel, and sell to interesting and cutting edge stores has given me the confidence to approach people whose work I want to make. I now feel like people would like to receive that email, rather than it’s me bugging them.