Bookstores Day In and Day Out
Author╱周家盈 Chow Ka Ying
Design╱曦成製本 Hei Shing Book Design
Size╱140mm(w) x 200mm(h)
Jacket Paper╱Heiwa Paper - Classic Crest 118g Recycled 100 Bright White Stipple Finish
Publisher╱格子盒作室 gezi workstation
Year╱2018
Design╱曦成製本 Hei Shing Book Design
Size╱140mm(w) x 200mm(h)
Jacket Paper╱Heiwa Paper - Classic Crest 118g Recycled 100 Bright White Stipple Finish
Publisher╱格子盒作室 gezi workstation
Year╱2018
We see people mourning over the closing of a bookstore, but why do we have to wait to eulogize it when it closes for good? — Chow Ka Ying, Teacher, Writer, and Storyteller
The author visited 11 independent bookstores in Hong Kong, and talked to their owners at length. From founding to running these bookstores, to the ups and downs, these bookstore owners discuss the joys and travails, as well as what they have gained or lost in their lives. They also share personal stories of revelling in the joy of reading. In these claustrophobic spaces filled with shelves and shelves of books, the owners have sold more than just books. The bookstores have also offered a spiritual stamping ground for readers and built a fellowship of book lovers, many of whom the owners have befriended. This city is in dire need of these personal stories that are driven by dreams, enthusiasm, struggles and kindness.
After being commissioned for this project, I read the manuscript from start to finish. I savoured the unhurried pace, tranquillity, and poetry in the text, and the image of the author, who is an art-and-literature-inclined young lady, came to my mind. Therefore, I attempted to transform this impression into a design.
The design corresponds to the nature of the book. It is an interesting book which everyone can read at leisure, so simplicity and compactness govern how the visuals are laid out. Individual images need not strike anyone, but together, they present a meticulously curated and meaningful whole. The layout is predicated on comfort, casualness, leisure, and space. As such, more areas are intentionally left blank, giving readers much needed pauses and some room for brooding and imagination.
