What is a book? Not an easy question
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Posted By Tara Seel, Herald-Leader books editor
Posted 2 months ago
Being a books editor is a great gig, but it is a rather solitary endeavour. Don't get me wrong. I love spending time with the myriad of characters found in the pages of books, but every once in a while it is nice to leave the realm of imagination and enter the "other" book world — one populated with people.
In June, I attended the Art of the Book exhibition at La Galerie du Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain in Winnipeg. There was a fantastic display of book art from 70 artists from Canada and around the world. The exhibition marked the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild.
While the breadth and imagination of the work took my breath away, I was especially pleased to see Manitoba books displayed alongside the traveling exhibit. Book design winners from Manitoba, including Patrick Friesen's "You Don't Get to Be a Saint" and Gerry Kopelow's "All Our Changes: Images from the Sixties Generation" were available to admire, touch, open up and revel in the great design and imaginative content.
The presence of Manitoba literature at this prestigious showing was thanks, in part, to the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers, which works tirelessly to produce and promote award-winning Manitoba-produced work. There is more that goes into a book than the content. The design of the pages also contributes to the overall experience of a book, a fact the AMBP proudly recognizes.
"I believe that we may be the only province where design and illustrated awards are included in with the literary awards, and, of course, book design is a very important part of getting people's attention to what may otherwise be a 'hidden' treasure. It was a true pleasure to watch people touch and drink in the beauty of the books — there was a sense of deep appreciation for the art of the book as a whole," said Karen San Filippo, projects co-ordinator with the AMBP.
I think it was a great experience to be able to walk through an exhibit populated with works by artists from around the world and discover Manitoba's contribution to book art to be on par with the offerings.
As I was walking around the exhibit, I saw several "stations" where there was paper and pen laid out. When I approached, I saw that there was a question posted, and a response was requested. The question was: What is a book? Sounds like an easy question, but the more I walked around looking at the book art on display, the less sure I became about what is a book. I think, ultimately, a book is a legacy from one generation to the next. It provides insight into a society, a culture, a state of mind. And I can't get enough of them!
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