Strange Types & Odd Sorts Focuses on Ireland's Print History

Strange Types & Odd Sorts, subtitled A Peek into the World of Print in Ireland, has just been published by the National Print Museum and creative writing mentoring experts Fighting Words.

The publication is the result of a collaboration between volunteer printers and compositors from the museum worked with mentors from Fighting Words mentors. Together, they have focused on the memories of people's experiences in apprenticeships, jobbing houses, newspapers, and binderies, as well as the current world of printing. 

According to the museum: "Whilst attempts have been made to capture the stories of retired printers and compositors through oral history and video projects over the years, this is the first time their stories have been set down in print."

Novelist Roddy Doyle launched the book at a special recent event and also talked about it with some of those involved in its production on RTÉ Radio 1 which you can hear here.

A small number of special letterpress dustjackets are also available for sale here, set by hand with sans wood type and an Old Style ampersand from the National Print Museum with 12pt & 24pt Caslon, and prrinted in a limited edition on the museum’s Vandercook no. 4.