Reflecting on the role of art and the artist in times of great cruelty, poet and liberation psychologist Sanah Ahsan writes about heart-work1: “the heart is a compass I turn to in navigating the prickliness of this cruel moment” reminding that the Arabic for the physical and spiritual heart – قلب – “literally means to turn”. She underlines the words of Audre Lorde in Poetry Is Not A Luxury (1995): ‘The white fathers told us, “I think therefore I am2.” The Black mother in each of us – the poet – whispers in our dreams: “I feel therefore I can be free.”’
It felt necessary to enable the possibility of a physical iteration of this edition of Non-Fiction – so that like the elephant itself, it can be felt, touched, held, discussed, passed on. Artist Emma Cheung has designed the beautiful riso-print-ready version of the journal that can be found in PDF format below. Her design quietly highlights textures gleaned between the lines of each essay and contribution – a tangible digital to analogue translation of sorts.
Of the nuts and bolts of riso printing, Risotto Studio explain: the RISO was designed to be a duplicator, with most of the work and cost in the artwork’s set-up. So the more you print, the more economical the price becomes per print. It looks like a photocopier, but works as a screenprinter; using rich spot colours and stencils to create tactile and vibrant prints, affordably and with little impact to our environment.
Working with riso means working within a methodology primed to think collectively, and imaginatively – in its invitation to experiment with colour combinations, paper qualities, size. Schools, community centres and solidarity movements often rely on riso printing because of its ability to print at scale cheaply. This felt fitting, and we hope that by making the journal available in a riso-print-ready version, we are enabling and activating alternative printing and distribution networks for it – we hope that it encourages you to learn about riso, to consider printing the journal yourself, to share it with others in physical form.
Emma co-runs Burley Fisher Community Press – a printing press based in Burley Fisher Books on Kingsland Road. Burley Fisher Community Press offer free workshops and guidance on zine-making, printing with risograph and self-publishing. A printing service is in operation for writers and zine-makers, combined with advice on craft and DIY practice to make self-publishing as affordable and accessible as possible. Burley Fisher Community Press also prints their own publications which can be found at the bookshop or distributed by Public Knowledge Books. If you’d like to learn more about riso introductory workshops, get in touch with Emma at: print@burleyfisherbooks.com
The Riso print ready version of Non-Fiction Journal #7: The Elephant will be available from the 16th January.
Endnotes: