Paul Johnson is a book artist and teacher in the United Kingdom.

[4] After experimenting with poetry and performance art, Johnson began to make his own books in his early 40s.

[5] In 1987, while an art educator at the Manchester Metropolitan University, Johnson launched the Book Art Project, designed to advance writing and communication skills through courses, publications and workshops for teachers and children.

[9] In 2018, the Johns Hopkins University acquired the Paul Johnson Archive comprising over five hundred items of his artwork (including 250 pop-ups) dating from approximately 1965-2015.

The prize recognizes outstanding three-dimensional books not commercially published or mass produced.