The bookbinder from Cordoba who turns used paper into great literary works

Authors, publishers and readers demand recycled cellulose for the production of books as a creative and sustainable way to fight global warming.

Manuel Patiño has been making books for so long that he jokes with the idea that if he pricks his finger he would bleed ink and if he gets scratched by a file, wood chips would fall.  Since the age of 14, to his current 61 years, this man’s hands have been full of paper paste, thread, and binding materials.  A journey that led him to experiment with different techniques in order to make his own recycled paper which he used to make objects, and later on, books.  “We started producing in 1995.  The idea of making books came a few years later when a friend gave us a printing machine.”

It was then that Ediciones Depapel was born.  Almost 20 years after its founding, their catalog, (especialized in poetry), includes several poetry books with the works of local poets as well as great works of Spanish literature such as Federico García Lorca, Antonio Machado and Rosalía de Castro.  “In reality, for good or bad, it is hard to catalog us as you would ordinarily call a publisher.  We also make notebooks, bookmarkers, and cards.  Most likely, something is usually made with our paper,” explains Patiño.

Read complete article here: EL PAIS

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