I just found out I missed this year's Helsinki book fair (Kirjamessut 2008).
It's not as much of a problem as it could be, as it is mainly a place for bookshops to sell stuff. At least, that was the impression I got last year. Sure, there were talks scheduled in open presentation areas, but they are in Finnish and my comprehension is not good enough to get much value from them.
Still, I would like to have been there, for the love all all things bookish. It also wouldn't have hurt to see how much better I understood the speakers this year than last, but I think the poetry reading I attended at Night of the Arts a month or so back already did that; I'm still a bit rubbish.
I looked at the website for the book fair briefly, and cringed. You can see for yourself how ugly and, well, 1998 it is. There are some pretty good graphic designers in Finland, so I don't think they have any excuse. I can immediately think of at least one local designer who could have done a better job, JDV Design, and that's without even trying. Someone tell them, please.
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2 comments:
So you're assuming they designed it before the Fair was developed? Maybe they just liked the cutesy look of it. It's kind of retro, in a way. Not so bad, really. Besides, they ARE book people after all.
Kat
The fair has been going for years, and websites are not so hard to update. I'd argue that kind of liking a look doesn't really cut it with something that has to be public facing and pull in attendees.
I'm not sure being 'book people' is an excuse. There are marketing positions within the book industry, and what about non-fiction?
I'm far from the only book lover to be capable of doing more than just loving books.
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