S2 Ep 5 BYOB: Building Book Fairs, Collective Publishing, and Making Space for Others

For the last episode of Season 2, of Book Making as an Art Form, before the summer break, I speak with Jordi de Vetten, co-founder of Bring Your Own Book, a collective behind one of Amsterdam's independent book fairs. Since 2021, together with Susu Lee, Augustinas Milkus, and Lies Kelder, the collective has organised book fairs and publishing projects that create space for collaboration, experimentation, and emerging makers.In our conversation, Jordi reflects on how Bring Your Own Book began as a student initiative at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and gradually grew into a recurring event within Amsterdam's publishing community. We talk about lowering the threshold for participation, organising a self-funded collective, and why publishing is not only about producing books, but also about creating the conditions for people to meet, exchange ideas, and share their work. Together, we spoke about:- How Bring Your Own Book grew from a student project into an independent book fair- Creating accessible spaces for emerging bookmakers and publishers- What it takes to organise a self-run collective and recurring public events- Choosing slow, sustainable growth over constant expansionSit with us for the last conversation before the summer, and enjoy a wonderful discussion on independent publishing, collective organizing, and why sometimes the most important thing you can publish is a space for others to participate.__________Produced and hosted by Justina Nekrašaitė | ⁠The Book Photographer⁠Audio productions: ⁠Jasper Drexhage | Drexhage Media ⁠⁠⁠⁠Design: ⁠Thom Niessink⁠Recorded at Stedelijk Museum LibraryCommunication & promotion: Chana LevyIntern: Chiara Tamborrino❤️ Season 2 is supported by Pictoright, Het Cultuurfonds and many big-hearted individuals via Voordekunst. With particular appreciation to our principal supporters:Ruth Higgins, Luminosity Lab, Eleonoor Jap Sam / Jap Sam Books, Silvia Robertelli, Wilco Art Books Amersfoort, and Marc Gijzen.