The World Biennials of Art Bookbinding were created in 1991 by Gaston Dall’Ara, sponsored by the European Parliament of Strasburg and the French Ministry of Culture. Little by little this event grew in size, from 68 to 633 participants, having a register of more than 4,500 names all over the world.
Since 2005 it is organised in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (30km SW Paris) by a team of volunteers under the presidency of Michèle Douaze, and patronized by the late Raymond Devos and Mrs Valéry Pécresse, President of the Ile-de-France Country.