Books From The East & West

We have been working on this for a while, and we are thrilled to finally announce the release of “Books from the East & West.” This initiative will be a curated, comprehensive virtual library of Arabic design books released periodically. The aim is to replace the current lack of Arabic design dedicated sections in physical bookstores and illuminate some of the seminal works of Arabic Design, whether from the East or the West. The name is borrowed from a book series by “The National Institute for Printing & Publishing” with a similar name and a similar two globes for its logo. The two globes possibly reflected a feeling of distance and alienation, considering each East and West to be their own planets. The symbol for the same series, later on, became represented with one globe, which also might indicate a shift in perception as globalization spread. The format of this library will be audio-based. So we were inspired by old radio programs that aired in Egypt during the 80s onward, particularly a show by the radio presenter Salwan Mahmoud which was about poems and had a charming and seductive undertone. Books: 1- Nasri Khattar, A Modernist Typotect by Yara Khoury. 2- Hilmi Al-Tuni, Evoking Popular Arab Culture by Yasmine Nachabe Taan Intro VO: Zeina Ahmed Other VO: Engy Hashem Recording about the books: Yara Khoury, Yasmine Nachabe Taan Music: Symphony For A Spider Plant - Mort Garson (1976), Plantasia - Mort