Bringing the art of bookmaking to all

This summer, we were delighted to host an interactive ‘Art of Bookmaking’ session at Karachi’s Deaf Reach School for children with hearing and speech disabilities, as part of our annual Children’s Literature Festival activities in Pakistan.

Following a general introduction, our team explained the bookmaking process while an interpreter translated the session into sign language. The children worked in groups to produce books on a subject of their choice, writing the content and designing the book covers, with their work later displayed around the school.

Our Pakistan team found the day really rewarding—Batool Nasir, Manager of our Museum and Archive at OUP Pakistan, commented: “Never had I imagined that I would be conducting this activity for children who were unable to hear me or speak to me. In the beginning, I was very apprehensive about it but when a teacher from the school joined me to translate all that I said into sign-language, I discovered that the children did not take much time to comprehend and follow the instructions I was giving. Engaging with these children turned out to be a highly rewarding experience indeed!”