Author Description

Sublime landscapes, tranquil urban scenes, frolicking children; who would associate such images with Palestine? All too often, the Western media shows only the country's gloomy side, and Palestinians as aggressors. For this book, the Dutch designer Annelys de Vet invited Palestinian artists, photographers and designers to map their country as they see it. Given their closeness to the subject, this has resulted in unconventional, very human impressions of the landscape and the architecture, the cuisine, the music and the poetry of thought and expression. The drawings, photographs, maps and narratives made for this atlas reveal individual life experiences, from preparing chickpeas to a manual on water pipe smoking, from historic dress to modern music. Humorous and caustic newspaper cartoons and invented Palestinian currency accompany colorful cultural diaries and moving letters from prisoners. Together, these contributions give an entirely different angle on a nation in occupied territory. Best Dutch Book Design 2007.