Chapbooks2024, set of three books, 106 x 172 mm, perfect-bound
Chapbook is a bilingual Arabic/English book subscription series presenting curated selections of translated works from the Arab world. Each edition covers a different theme and features regional artists, aiming to preserve and promote Arab heritage while serving as an educational tool for language learning and cultural exchange. By collaborating with writers, translators, artists, and publishers, Chapbook deepens understanding and appreciation of Arabic literature, contributing to a global literary canon that considers translated Arabic classics as such.
Each book is biscriptal: when opened from the left side, it is an English publication; when opened from the right side, it is an Arabic publication. This design ensures there is no cultural hierarchy, introducing both demographics to one another. The meeting point between both languages is the imprint pages, which include information about the contributing authors and artists.
To enhance this theme of cultural exchange, I play with Arabic typography on the English half of the book and English typography in the Arabic half. This approach aims to acclimate both language groups to each other's script and aesthetic, fostering a deeper appreciation and understanding of both cultures.
Throughout my Graphic Communication Deisgn course at CSM we have been encouraged to question the cultural canons that shape our understanding—referring to works officially accepted as influential in any particular field. It was surprising to discover that the origin of the English word "canon" itself stems from the Arabic "qanun" (قانون), meaning "law" or "rule," which was derived from the Greek "kanon" (κανών) and entered European languages through medieval translations of Arabic texts.
My final project, Chapbook, is a bilingual Arabic/English book subscription series featuring curated selections of works from the Arab world. Inspired by the traditional chapbook, which is a method of cheaply and distributing books excerpt by excerpt, my chapbooks follow this model. Collaborating with writers, translators, and artists, the series aims to make Arabic literature more accessible and contribute to a more inclusive global literary canon.