A small illuminated pocket prayerbook in the Celtic style of the Book of Kells, with traditional prayers for morning, noon, and evening, and a selection of Psalms for each day of the week.
In the golden age of Celtic manuscript production, every book was a work of devotion, not only in its subject matter but in its crafting. Great texts like the Book of Kells, the Lindisfarne Gospels, and Edinburg's Celtic Psalter were painstakingly written by hand and adorned in the most magnificent manner possible, creating masterpieces of faith and art that turned the act of reading into a spiritual encounter. This kind of spiritual encounter was famously recorded by Gerard of Wales in the 12th century, who said of one such book in Killdare (now lost, unfortunately) that "it seems not the work of men, but of angels".
This project is an attempt to recover something of that vision alongside the Celtic spirit of prayer, which lived in the daily life and rhythms of the saints and common folk from the Gaelic lands, like the very air they breathed.
This campaign will fund the creation of a small, illuminated pocket prayerbook designed for daily use and built around the ancient rhythms of prayer:
Morning, Midday, and Evening prayers
A weekly cycle of Psalms
Traditional devotions such as the Lorica of St. Patrick and the Angelus
Selections drawn from the Carmina Gadelica, preserving the living voice of Celtic Christian tradition
Hand Crafted
Every page of the original manuscript is being hand-written and hand-painted in the Insular style. It is full of interlacing knotwork, bright golden accents, decorated initials, and iconography that echoes the visual language of the early Celtic monastic scriptoria, but adapted carefully for clarity, readability, and practical daily use.
Though the prayers and Psalms included are traditional and drawn from ancient sources, this book will not be a copy of any existing text, but a new work crafted in continuity with an old tradition and infused with its artistic vibrancy.
Though I can't make a hand-written copy for every backer, the printed editions I'm aiming to produce with this campaign will preserve the richness of color and ornament of the original artwork. I'll be working with PrintNinja again for this project, the same company that did the printing for the Beowulf and Celtic Gospel projects, both of which got many rave reviews for the quality of the print and binding.
These editions will be affordable (~$25), because the goal is not exclusivity but use. This book is meant to be carried, opened daily, and lived with. It is meant to be the kind of thing that can be a treasured gift for first communions, confirmations, and other significant milestones, or just as a token of love for a person of faith.
The finished book will be hardcover bound in burgundy imitation leather, decorated in the style of the St. Cuthbert Gospel book. It will be durable, compact, and designed to age well with use.
Our main goal for this project is to secure the funds needed to publish the prayerbook. Because of its small size, I'll be able to print and bind these economically to a very high quality standard. Our $7,500 goal will fully fund:
Printing and production of the first run
Materials and finishing costs
Packaging and fulfillment
This ensures the prayerbook exists and can reach those who want it.
Major Stretch Goal: The Gospel Returns
If we can spread the campaign widely enough to get a very strong showing in pledges, it may be possible to also fund a new print run for the Celtic Illuminated Gospel book I made in 2022, which I sold out of last year. I have had a number of people ask about whether the Gospels will be available again, and if we reach our second stretch goal ($50,000) I can make that happen.
Because of the scale and cost of that printing project, it cannot be offered without confirmed funding. But if this campaign reaches that level, backers will unlock the ability to reserve copies of the Celtic Illuminated Gospel book as well.
The hand-illuminated Gospel book, 2022
In other words: this small book could become the seed of something much greater.
Stretch Goals
$25,000 - Unlocks embossing on the prayerbook covers to go along with the foil decoration, matching the St. Cuthbert Gospel cover design even closer.
$35,000 - A bonus illuminated art print is included with each pledge.
$50,000 - If we hit this milestone I can do another printing run of the illuminated Latin/English Gospel book, and that will unlock as an add-on.
An illuminated print of the Lord's Prayer in Latin
Pater Noster
A smaller print measuring 6" x 8.5", sent by mail or included in your shipment as an add-on. Suitable for framing or as a gift. The original is hand-written and painted on parchment with gold calligraphy ink and gouache pain.
The Illuminated Prayer Book
Pocket-Sized
This one is the main effort for this campaign - included in multiple reward tiers, and available as a stand-alone add-on.
"Book of Kells" DIY Project
Coloring Book and Calligraphy Practice
Designed for young people who want to learn and make something of their own, this digital reward includes Celtic art tutorials, uncial calligraphy tutorials, and a print-ready Gospel coloring book project they can paint, trace calligraphy, and assemble themselves. The book is a condensed telling of the Gospel story for children, but with original art from the 2022 illuminated Gospel project, complete with assembly instructions and demo video so they can try their hand at making their own illuminated manuscript in the style of the Book of Kells.
Hand Sewn Illuminated Prayerbook
Medieval
The Celtic prayerbook, printed in full color on parchment paper like the original, sewn and handbound in leather in authentic medieval style.
Illuminated Psalter Latin Course
DIY Psalter
If you love the idea of making your own illuminated manuscript, the Latin Psalter Course combines biblical Latin lessons based on the Vulgate text of the Psalms with art and calligraphy practice, giving you the printable text for an entire Psalter you can paint and hand-letter over the course of a year. Read more details here: https://www.tamburnmanor.com/online-programs
The Original Manuscript
Mid-Day Prayers
Only one available! This is the complete original hand-written and hand-illuminated prayerbook, scripted and painted over several months of careful work. The parchment pages will be sewn onto leather bands and hand-bound in authentic medieval style, with blind tooling cover decoration.
As a smaller project, the timeline for this one is a bit tighter and more predictable than some of the previous publishing projects we've done. We're working with PrintNinja this time for production, and they have a 6 week delivery turnaround. The timeline we're anticipating is as follows:
May - June 2026: Finishing the art and editing for the prayerbook
July 1-15: Pre-production setup with the printer
July 15 - 30: Printing and production
August 1 - September 15: Shipping and delivery (to me)
September 15 - October 15: Mailing and delivery (to you)
Shipping fees are calculated based on your mailing address, and will be added and collected in the Pledge Manager when you fill out the survey after the campaign. The packed weight for a single prayerbook is only about a pound, shipping rate examples for one book will look something like: US: $4.70 UK: $32.00 Canada: $26.00
