I remember, I remember, the house where I was born.
Thomas Hood 1799 – 1845

Inspired by the work of Joe Brainard 1942-1994 I Remember (which in turn inspired Georges Perec 1936-1892 to write Je me souviens/) the theme for United Artists World Book Night 2023 was ‘We Remember’.

One hundred and fourteen artists have responded by sharing memories with us this year, from twenty-one different countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, UK, and USA.

The exhibition of the images, words and artists’ books that make up this collective memory is on display now at Bower Ashton Library, UWE Bristol, and can be visited until 30th September 2023*. Fragments of the memories can also be seen on Instagram @lsp_books

Gracia & Louise (Australia) made Recall for WBN 2023, a double-sided A4 sized memory capsule in the form of a zine, which made its first physical, public appearance at Melbourne Art Book Fair in May.

All the works have been photographed or scanned to be included in the free download pdf publication, and our video launched on World Book Night, Sunday 23rd April.

A specially commissioned collaboration between writer Sylee Gore and artist Ioulia Akhmadeeva for the project has resulted in a beautiful keepsake folded poster/pamphlet.
Risograph printed at LCBA with a foil blocked glassine envelope, a copy was posted to all project participants and supplied to legal deposit libraries in the UK.

A parallel exhibition at Hong Kong Design Institute is on display from 1st September – 31st October 2023, organised by Jessica Ho Yuk Ching.

Our memories contain historical facts, such as the death of the Queen, the Tutankhamun exhibition, and the moon landings. In the main however people have shared very personal memories; there is nostalgia, pain, illness, nightmares, and the distress at loss of memory, though these remembrances seem thoughtful and kind rather than depressing. We remember parents, childhood, family, friendships, dreams and emancipation.

Our memories were usually visual, using images and descriptive words to share thoughts, our other senses took a lesser role. Although the power of smell and taste to evoke memory is documented as the ‘Proust Effect’ it was not so much for us, but we did remember school dinners. We could taste polo mints and ice-cream; we didn’t like dandelion and burdock. We remembered touch, with tenderness, and the sensation of sand between our toes. Only one particular piece of music, the Harry Lime theme, zithered into memory, from the striking black & white film The Third Man. We danced to party mix tapes and wished we could ever jitterbug.

Watch our World Book Night video featuring a selection of the 114 artworks interspersed with images of the keepsake booklet by Sylee Gore and artist Ioulia Akhmadeeva. Original music by Si Butler and Simon Smith here. You can also listen to an audio recording made by Sylee Gore (using a text-to-speech converter) when editing the poem ‘Four Channel Memory’ for the keepsake here.

Our combined memories are a common historical record and autobiography. Often very personal, they all bring back and jog our own memories and chains of associations. They document all our lives and can bring back events and emotions long forgotten. The project has become moving and powerful. We walk in each other’s shoes and share our memories.

Pleasure is found first in anticipation, later in memory. Gustave Flaubert 1821 – 1880.

Text by Linda Parr, April 2023

WBN 2023 is curated and organised by Sarah Bodman and Linda Parr.

You can watch / listen to a video ‘What We Do in the Shadows: bringing book arts into World Book Night’, about the history of our World Book Night events to date here.

*This exhibition is free and open to the public at Bower Ashton Library, Monday – Friday 9am-5pm. No booking needed. The library is on the first floor of B block. Parking at Ashton Court or meters on main road.

For more information on Bower Ashton Library, visitor access and campus map, see the library website. You can also follow the library’s Twitter feed.

UWE Bristol, City Campus at Bower Ashton, Kennel Lodge Road, Bristol BS3 2JT.