Oxford Scribes was founded in 1984, as a society for calligraphers living in and around Oxford. From that small beginning the Scribes has become an international, widely respected group, although its roots are still in Oxfordshire.
There are currently some 130 members, in the UK and overseas, who range from complete beginners to established professional calligraphers, many of whom can offer to undertake commissions and individual tuition.

The society holds meetings, often with a visiting speaker, and runs monthly workshops exploring a wide range of techniques. Occasional visits to places of calligraphic interest are organized for members. Past visits have included the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, for a special viewing of the Collection of Contemporary Calligraphy.

The Oxford Scribe Newsletter, the society's widely-acclaimed magazine, is published three times a year and contains reports of our activities, examples of members’ work, and articles of interest by members and other respected professionals.

Exhibitions featuring work by our members are held at least once a year. In 2004, our 20th anniversary year, Oxford Scribes sponsored Psalm XX in the Saint John's Bible – the first complete Bible to have been hand-lettered since 1452. As a way of celebrating, members produced the Psalm in as many different languages and hands as possible, and the results have been exhibited at Diocesan House, Oxford, the Oxford Jewish Center, and Guildford Cathedral.

We marked our 25th anniversary in 2009 with a touring exhibition called The Long Tradition, charting the history of Western calligraphy in 26 hands, and the publication of a companion catalogue/reference book. The exhibition opened at Radley College, near Abingdon, in April and moved to the Corinium Museum, Cirencester, the Said Business School in Oxford, The River and Rowing Museum in Henley and the Oxfordshire Record Office. Venues in 2010 include Bourne End, Bampton and Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park.

Copies of our 25th anniversary book, The Long Tradition, are now out of print. Further enquiries may be sent to the Membership Secretary.