Letters to the Future
Award: Shortlist
Shortlist / Book Design / Limited Edition & Fine Binding Books / 2022
A single piece of plastic lasts over one thousand years, which means the plastic we throw away will be still be there for generations and generations. Letters to the Future used the idea of a time capsule to warn people about plastic waste. People from all over the world were invited to write letters to their great, great, great grandchildren. People from 22 countries participated, whose letters were screen printed onto paper that was derived from plastic waste, resulting in a book that will now last one thousand years.
What did the judges have to say?
"While Letters to the Future isn't the type of work to incite behavior change at scale today, it's a well-crafted heart-led piece encapsulating a community's reflections. One would imagine that the act of participating in the making of this initiative - writing letters, collecting and reforming plastic material, and designing this lasting body of work made of plastic itself gave everyone more time to reflect on their relationship with plastic, and the future they wish to see."
Roshi Givechi, Independent Consultant, Design Strategist & Storyteller
"I loved the idea of creating something meaningful from actual rubbish. There's a poignancy in creating a book of letters addressed to future generations that will still be here in hundreds of years. It made me ponder over the afterlife of our work once its intended lifespan is over – where will it go? Can it be recycled in a new and innovative manner?"
Sharon King-Chai, Illustrator/Author/Designer, Independent/Two Hoots (Pan Macmillan)