Endangered Alphabets Revival
Breathing Life Into Forgotten Scripts
Breathing Life Into Forgotten Scripts
"Writing Beyond Writing" is a remarkable literary work by Tim Brookes, a world explorer who spent thirteen years crafting this masterpiece. In this book, Brookes takes us on a journey into the fascinating world of indigenous and minority scripts, which have faced bans, destruction, and persecution throughout history. He reveals the untold stories of these scripts, from those used in divination and magic to sacred alphabets recited in religious rituals. He explores their profound connection to the cultures they originated from.
One of the most significant aspects of this project is the Mandaic-type design created for Chapter Four of the book. This bespoke design was meticulously crafted to perfectly integrate with the book's exploration of indigenous and minority scripts, highlighting their struggles for preservation. The Mandaic type design goes beyond conventional typography and is a tangible representation of the resilience and diversity inherent in human expression. It pays a respectful homage to scripts and languages that might have otherwise been lost to obscurity.
This project is a testament to the influential role of design in preserving and celebrating linguistic heritage. It ensures that these invaluable elements of human culture remain vibrant and alive for generations.
Review - Tim Brookes:
I have been collaborating with Ardwan Alsabti almost since the inception of the Endangered Alphabets Project, and it has always been both a fascinating and enjoyable experience. I am always drawn to the fact that he moves beyond the assumption that writing is a linear, parallel and sequential form and instead sees the page as an entire field for design. The results, then, are a constantly stimulating tension between writing, art and design that can be viewed from multiple angles and constantly suggest different relationships between the elements. His design for Writing Beyond Writing, for example, is not only a text but a panorama of elements that suggest letters and words, but also people, statues, supplication, worship, a cry for deliverance. To me, as a non-Mandaean who also does not speak or read Mandaic, it suggests a plea that echoes the theme of the chapter: Let my people go!
BOOK DETAILS
title Writing Beyond Writing
subtitle Lessons from Endangered alphabets
Written by Tim Brookes
language English
Edition First Edition, 2024
ISBN 978-0988452336
PUBLISHER Percentage Possibility Publications
DATE OF PUBLICATION 23 January 2024
Cover Type Softcover // Hardcover // Ebook
Paper 80 Gram
Printed in USA
Pages 163
Dimensions 254mm x 203mm x 13mm
AdinkraExpressions // AdlamInnovations // BalineseBrushstrokes // BanglaBrushstrokes // BaybayinHeritage // BeyondWriting // CalligraphicExpressions // CalligraphyChronicles // ChakmaCharacters // ChamScriptCraft // DesigningWords // EgyptianScriptsRevived // EndangeredAlphabetsJourney // EnglishInnovations // GarayGlyphs // GlobalLanguageCollage // HieroglyphicsLegacy // HumanRightsInWriting // IndonesianScriptArt // LanguageDiversity // LepchaLegacy // LinguisticEvolution // MandaicTraditions // MandombeElegance // MarmaMroScripts // MegalacerosInscribed // MotherTongueTales // NdebeleExpressions // NubianHeritage // NsibidiWisdom // OgamHeritage // PahauhHmongArtistry // PallavaElegance // PastPresentFutureScript // PreservingMinorityLanguages // PrasannaSreeExpressions // RunesOfHistory // SamaritanLetters // SilabarioAmazonicoStories // SiddhamTraditions // SudaneseScripts // TifinaghTradition // TimBrookes // VanuatuScriptures // VaiKpoloeCraft