“From Paper to the Manuscript Book” — Educational Workshop at the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation

On 7, 14 and 21 March 2026, the educational workshop “From Paper to the Manuscript Book” took place at the Historical Library of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, in collaboration with Triton & Shell – Paper Art Hub.

The workshop was led by Andreas Fatouros, conservator of archival and library materials, hand papermaker and bookbinder, and Maria Genitsariou, visual artist, calligrapher and researcher, both founding members of Triton & Shell.

The programme was designed for children and young people aged 10–14 as a hands-on journey into the world of the book before the widespread adoption of printing. Over three consecutive sessions, participants explored in practice three fundamental stages in the creation of a manuscript book: hand papermaking, calligraphy and bookbinding.

Session 1 — Handmade Paper

During the first session, participants were introduced to the basic principles of traditional hand papermaking and to the raw materials historically used in paper production.

Through hands-on practice, they created their own sheets of handmade paper, learning about the role of water and fibres in sheet formation and observing how the characteristics of the raw materials and the handmade process make each sheet unique.

Session 2 — Calligraphy

During the second session, the sheets they had created were transformed into surfaces for writing and personal expression.

Participants wrote their own short story or text, became familiar with basic writing tools and materials, and experimented with calligraphy. At the same time, they were introduced to fundamental principles of organising and composing a handwritten page.

Session 3 — Bookbinding

During the third and final session, participants were introduced to the basic principles of bookbinding and to the way individual sheets can be organised and joined together to form a book.

They prepared their paper covers, folded and arranged their written sheets, and joined them by sewing, completing their own handmade manuscript book.

In this way, the three sessions formed a single creative process. Participants did not simply encounter three separate techniques; they followed and carried out the entire journey from raw material to finished book: from fibres to sheets of paper, from paper to writing, and finally from handwritten pages to a bound volume.

The workshop gave children the opportunity to approach the book not only as something to be read, but as an object that is designed, made and written by hand, connecting the history of the book with the experience of making.

Through this process, paper and the book were presented as carriers of knowledge, stories, personal expression and memory — values that lie at the heart of the educational and research activities of Triton & Shell – Paper Art Hub.