Workshop: ‘Clase Turista’

On 4 and 5 November, Ivorypress hosted a workshop on the theory and practice of producing books as objects and running an alternative publishing business.

The course, organised by the Argentinean publishing house Clase Turista (www.edclaseturista.com.ar), was given by its creators, Esteban Castromán, Lorena Iglesias and Iván Moiseeff. It was aimed at those who are interested in creating books as objects, as well as anybody who is thinking about starting their own publishing project.

Course participants learned how to start up a publishing house, especially in times of economic difficulty and scarcity of resources. The course covered the different publishing models, from ‘hand-crafted’ to digital, legal aspects, the most efficient sales outlets, advertising and distribution channels, etc.

It paid special attention both to the peculiarities of alternative publishing and to the hand-crafting process of creating books as objects. In fact, the practical side of the workshop included classes on aspects to bear in mind when producing a book, such as paper, folding, binding, seams, boards and covers. Finally, participants applied the knowledge acquired and produced their own book, using the materials provided by the organisers.