PROJECT THEME — BOOK CLUB
The project’s theme is the creation of an online book club dedicated to analyzing contemporary works, as well as dissecting the book’s design code and its components—typography, color schemes, layout, ornaments, and illustrations.The community will explore ethnic literature and works in the genres of folklore, essays, fiction, and autofiction by writers from around the world.Meetings will involve literary discussion, analysis of book layout, and cultural immersion into the heritage of the work’s originating people. Immersing oneself in the history and traditions will deepen the understanding of the text and its underlying patterns.
./ PROBLEM — SOLUTION — FORMAT
./ THE PROBLEMThe issue has two facets.The first — the uniformity of existing book clubs, which focus on classics, fantasy, or romantic prose. Participants read the same publications—AST, «Azbuka-klassika,» EXMO—and overlook niche genres. The clubs are focused on books trending online or global classics, but these works either reveal already established truths or are primarily designed for leisure.The second — cultural homogenization. Social media presents a curated image of vibrant lives in other countries. People want to «live the life of an American teen» or «a university student in Japan.» Individuals become disconnected from their own culture, forgetting folklore, viewing traditions and continuity with skepticism../ THE SOLUTIONCreating a book club addresses the problem of uniformity. We are examining independent publishers—Ad Marginem, Individuum, NLO, «Garazh,» and others.Readers delve into essays and autofiction, scientific literature, and prose that explores genuine human experience—the meaning of life, art, morality, identity, nature, and scientific discovery. This is literature of the present time.These works clearly reflect the author’s culture and the identity of the people, because a person’s language, values, and worldview are shaped by their environment.Studying folk literature helps to remember the significance of every cultural group’s identity, sparks interest in minority peoples, and broadens horizons. Meanwhile, analyzing design, photography, ornament, and color palettes helps to visually comprehend culture and its specific characteristics.
./ FORMAT
A media project featuring a paid subscription book club. It consists of two parts.
The project’s direction aligns with the «Art of the Book» course section.
Public Component — A community on the Instagram social network*. Literary and cultural content is published there; the project attracts an audience and introduces them to the monthly theme.
Private Component — A book club hosted on Telegram*. Entry requires a monthly paid subscription. Discussions about books and the selection of works take place within the group chat. Meetings are scheduled in an online format using Zoom and Yandex Telemost platforms.
References created from the social network Pinterest. ./1 — Slavic Culture ./2 — India, Latin America ./3 — China, Asia
