Lewis Carroll

I have been fascinated by The Hunting of the Snark for years and almost had a version accepted for publication in 1998, when I first began writing and illustrating full time.

In 2006, Donald Kerr – through the Printer in Residence Programme at the University of Otago Library – at last gave me the opportunity to collaborate with Tara Mcleod (printer), Inge Doesburg, Jenna Packer and Kathryn Madill (printmakers) and a host of other contributors to produce this unique publication.

 

Snarkopack

Initially envisioned as an internally illustrated book, printing practicalities forced a rethink of the design. The result was a beautifully printed, limited edition (101) booklet wrapped in a bound solar-etched triptych of the expedition ship 'Snarked' in Otago Harbour, accompanied by sheets with pop-out card /images of the 12 characters from the poem.

Illustratively, the concept was that the reader should stand up each character in front of the diorama cover as he (or it) was introduced by Carroll in the poem and perhaps move them around in that imaginary space if and when it was deemed appropriate. (However, as much of the edition went to Carroll collectors I suspect many of these card sets remain intact and the true drama of the reading has yet to be felt.)

The set also includes an individual, randomly selected, solar-etched print of one of the characters for the purchaser to personally identify with.

 

In 2016 I published another project concerning this poem...but that's for another time...