Book-making Marathon

Preparing the books was a marathon of 4 days and 4 nights. I couldn't waste any time. The post would take some time. People would need some time to contribute. The return of the books would take more time.

Wednesday, 15th October: I decided that I would send the books in the afternoon in the meeting with my tutor. I came up with the idea that I could send notebooks instead of interviewing people in the university or sending leaflets. When my tutor agreed that it would be a good idea, but that I should be aware time, I started to become very excited about it. I am always really interested in projects that is applied for different kinds of media (intermediality) and especially with such a tactile aspect.

I came home with the thought of "I am going to buy the books now, I will make everything tonight and I will send all tomorrow". These impossible logistics that comes in my mind when I am very excited about something. Shops were all closed already, I should get the addresses first, and preparing the notebooks takes time. I think I got that when I finished this marathon.
I arrived home and planned how the notebook should look like [see characteristics of the books]. I decided to buy notebooks because I wouldn't have time to make them, I mean, to put the papers and stitch one by one, plus writing, etc. I should send them as soon as possible (on Saturday, at the most, I should send the ones that are to the farest countries (which it would take 1 week to arrive).

Thursday, 16th November: In the next morning I went to some stationary and department stores to find the notebook I had in mind: few plain pages, covered with Kraft natural color, no art on that. In one small stationary I found this a Hahnemuhle journal, just perfect to match the characteristics I was looking for. The shop had just one. No more. Hmmm... dam it. Never the less I bought it "if I have this in my hands I can find a seller for that". I came direct to the Internet and finally found a website that sell this German notebook here in England but it would take 4 working day. Whaaa? No way! I called the company. Arranged for them to deliver by the next morning before 12pm. Phew!
I bought the ribbons I would use, the envelopes, and what I could to optimize the time. In this night I made tests in the notebook I had in my hands and cutted all the 600 small papers that I would use for the "Thank you for taking part in this project" that would be attached to the books. It took me some time but I finished at 7am.

Friday, 17th November: At 10am at the next morning (or: at the same morning) the notebooks arrived. Yes, as soon as I saw that they were the right notebooks and everything was right, I came back to sleep which didn't took long for me to get back in the marathon again at 12pm.



And then it actually started. Notebooks, notebooks, notebooks. Cut the ribbons in the same size. Glue the ribbons in each notebook. Take the first notebook that is already dry and write the title in the cover. Next notebook. Another. Another... Take the first notebook that the ink had dried and write the website address at the back. One, two, three, thirty-two. Take the first notebook again, open that and write "What have you left behind?" in the second page (in the first it will be a text). Do that in all the notebooks and leave them open so the ink dries, otherwise it will mark. Make sure you are changing position of the sentences in each page. Make that in thirty-two notebooks in thirty-nine pages. Oh, that is 1248 times "What have you left behind?".

Stamp the small papers. My flatmate now and then arrived in the messy living room and laughed at me. She thought it was hilarious the scene. She was the one who took the pictures.









Now, writing the instructions in the back of the cover at least in the books I would post the next day. Write the text in the first page with what I have left behind. Take an envelope, put the address of return, fold and put at the back of the book.

Put in the envelopes. And done. Phew.









Saturday, 18th November: Went literally running to the post before it closes and sent some notebooks. The other notebooks were sent on Monday and a few during the week, as soon as I got the addresses.

I am sure I will have a few more marathons until the end of this project. And I can't wait to that.