A 1985 Fulbright award began Alexandra Soteriou’s over three decades of work in India documenting papermaking heritage and working to revive the traditional craft.

Prior to that she held formal apprenticeships at the Center for Book Arts and in papermaking with Douglass Howell. She trained in bookbinding and restoration, ran her own peppermill and bindery, wrote about paper, lectured and exhibited internationally, and helped set up papermaking projects in various countries. Many of her efforts centered on enabling village artisans to find ways to continue to make paper and support themselves in current market conditions. She worked in many village-centered projects through UNIDO, Aid to Artisans and USAID and  spent decades working with papermakers in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Uzbekistan and Thailand. Her award-winning book, Gift of Conquerors, Hand Papermaking in India is a recognized scholarly resource on the subject.