Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Bind
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.williamgoldsmith.co.uk/
CITY: Glasgow, Scotland
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
http://www.williamgoldsmith.co.uk/about * https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/14/the-bind-by-william-goldsmith-review-bookbinding-graphic-novel * http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13622169.Graphic_Content__Five_Questions_for_William_Goldsmith/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
EDUCATION:Attended college.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Illustrator and writer.
AWARDS:Pasa Porta residency.
WRITINGS
Contributor to publications and exhibitions.
SIDELIGHTS
William Goldsmith is a British writer and illustrator. He has contributed illustrations to exhibitions and publications. Goldsmith is a recipient of a residency at Pasa Porta, a Brussels literary publisher.
Vignettes of Ystov
In 2011 Goldsmith released his first book, Vignettes of Ystov: A Graphic Novel. In an article he wrote on the Guardian Web site, Goldsmith explained: “At art college, I made a one-page comic called Alphabet Soup, with no intention of extending it further. … In the final term of college I returned to Alphabet Soup and added stories to it, which became Vignettes of Ystov.” The book is set in the fictional Eastern European town of Ystov. In the beginning of the volume, readers learn that the name of the town is connected to the river that runs through it. The river’s Y shape comes from the depressions in the land, which were made when a meteor hit its surface many years ago. The book contains two-page stories featuring various characters living in the town. One story focuses on a pair of longtime friends, one of whom plans to relocate to Ystov. They decide they will reunite forty years in the future. The friend who is moving away imagines their future meeting. In another, a janitor dies, and his boss must remove the items from the janitor’s apartment. The boss, a property manager, is deeply affected when he observes the janitor’s possessions. Two astronauts are the protagonists of another story. They determine to prove that coincidences are not real. A flirtatious office clerk named Maryke Blitzen is another main character. Oppressive government agents and unexpected deaths are among the darker elements of the book.
“While brief, this book begs to be re-read again and again,” asserted a contributor to Publishers Weekly. John Hogan, a writer on the Graphic Novel Reporter Web site, praised the book’s artwork and suggested: “The sometimes funny, sometimes haunting text that tells the stories perfectly complements it.” Hogan added: “The book is a gem, a wonderful little collection that shows great promise for its debut creator.”
The Bind
Goldsmith tells the story of a bookbinding company and the two brothers who own it in his 2015 graphic novel, The Bind. Guy and Victor are the co-owners of Egret Bindings, which includes a factory and a showroom. The company employs about one hundred people, and all the work on the books is completed by hand. Egret’s workers emboss, trim, glue, and sew the books themselves. The company is successful and widely respected. It has recently released a book called A Moonless Land, which a wealthy American commissioned. The book features gold lettering and a spider design on the cover that is studded with gemstones. At the volume’s unveiling, Guy and Victor have a spat. The conflict between them becomes increasingly bad, and the brothers begin cheating and lying to one another. Eventually, their longtime feud ruins both of them. In an interview with Teddy Jamieson, a contributor to the Herald Scotland Web site, Goldsmith explained how he developed the idea for the book’s narrative. He stated: “Initially I liked the idea of a story about a book passing through lots of different hands across the ages, but in the end the story just became about the two people binding the book, and seeing how they could play off each other, as two very different personalities.”
A Publishers Weekly reviewer described The Bind as “exquisitely designed and produced.” The same reviewer concluded: “This is a beautiful book to savor and hold.” James Smart, a contributor to the online version of the Guardian, suggested: “It’s the look more than the plot that captivates. Goldsmith’s palette is muted but evocative, and his characterisation playful.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, October 22, 2012, review of Vignettes of Ystov: A Graphic Novel, p. 45; September 26, 2016, review of The Bind, p. 74.
ONLINE
Graphic Novel Reporter, http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/ (April 11, 2011), John Hogan, review of Vignettes of Ystov.
Guardian Online (London, England), https://www.theguardian.com/ (March 10, 2011), article by author; (August 14, 2015), James Smart, review of The Bind.
Herald Scotland Online, http://www.heraldscotland.com/ (August 24, 2015), Teddy Jamieson, author interview.
William Goldsmith Home Page, http://www.williamgoldsmith.co.uk (July 11, 2017).*
QUOTED: "Initially I liked the idea of a story about a book passing through lots of different hands across the ages, but in the end the story just became about the two people binding the book, and seeing how they could play off each other, as two very different personalities."
24th August 2015
Graphic Content: Five Questions for William Goldsmith
Graphic Content
Teddy Jamieson
(2) View gallery
Get the latest local news straight to your inbox every day
Your email
Sign up
The thing about comics, William Goldsmith says, is the creative freedom they give. ”And I have always liked the intimacy that images on a small scale give you.”
Goldsmith is a Glasgow-based cartoonist who made a splash with his first graphic novel Vignettes of Ystov, a story cycle set in a fictitious eastern European town full of muted colours and shabby Soviet-style architecture. Published in 2011., it was a beautiful and beautifully distinctive work, one that suggested there were corners that the graphic novel had still to explore.
After then drawing a biography of John Muir he now returns with The Bind, a novel about bookbinding. Yes, bookbinding. It’s also a book about ghosts and family disputes too, as the firm of Egret Bindings attempt to create their most lavish, sumptuous binding the company has ever produced. Think jewels. think spiders made out of jewels. (Spiders play a major part in what happens.)
Goldsmith’s art is a mixture of rough outlines, pastel wash and intricate detail. And, appropriately enough in a book about bookbinders, he clearly enjoys playing with the bookishness of the graphic novel. He even manages to include foldout pages.
There is a grand Edwardian melodrama going on here, a rise and fall story if you like, but the real pleasure is in Goldsmith’s eye for small scale detail. The implements used, the detail embossed.
Below, Goldsmith answers five questions for Graphic Content.
Tell us the origins of your new graphic novel The Bind?
I came across some articles about a real life bookbinding company at the turn of the 20th century and was fascinated.
Initially I liked the idea of a story about a book passing through lots of different hands across the ages, but in the end the story just became about the two people binding the book, and seeing how they could play off each other, as two very different personalities.
ADVERTISING
In your research did you discovers that The Bind’s vision of bookbinding - with its ghosts and duplicity - was typical of the industry?
Absolutely not! I think Victorian / Edwardian bookbinders did play pranks on each other in their workshops, but nothing on the scale of what we see in The Bind.
Spiders? For or against?
For.
Do you have a thing for old architecture (we keep noticing all the lovely detail on the buildings here and in your previous book)?
Probably, I enjoy drawing it, and the challenge of showing lots of ornament in an economic way.
What influence, if any, has living in Glasgow had on your work?
I have a real attachment to Glasgow as a city - there's aspects of it in my previous book, probably more than this one. Things like the discarded furniture. Also people's friendliness to each other, even if they're strangers, has perhaps made me more observant about people in an everyday sense, which again comes into Vignettes of Ystov.
The Bind, by William Goldsmith, is published by Jonathan Cape, priced £20.
William Goldsmith is an illustrator and writer based in Glasgow.
His work has appeared in a range of publications and exhibitions, both in the UK and overseas.
Published by Jonathan Cape, his books include “The Bind” and “Vignettes of Ystov”, which was nominated for a Newton First Book Award.
He was awarded a residency in Brussels with literary house Pasa Porta, and was included in Canongate’s list of Top 40 Future Storytellers.
He is currently working on his third book.
Contact
103 South Block
60 Osborne Street
Glasgow G1 5QH
mail@williamgoldsmith.co.uk
QUOTED: "At art college, I made a one-page comic called Alphabet Soup, with no intention of extending it further. ... In the final term of college I returned to Alphabet Soup and added stories to it, which became Vignettes of Ystov."
Graphic novelist William Goldsmith on Vignettes of Ystov
View more sharing options
Shares
5
The graphic novelist William Goldsmith explains how a one-page comic turned into a wistful story cycle about a fictional Eastern-European town, and guides us through is creation, from preliminary sketches to finished pages from Vignettes of Ystov
William Goldsmith
Thursday 10 March 2011 10.44 EST First published on Thursday 10 March 2011 10.44 EST
At art college, I made a one-page comic called Alphabet Soup, with no intention of extending it further. This is an early drawing of the main characters in Alphabet Soup – Wassily and Marta. In the final term of college I returned to Alphabet Soup and added stories to it, which became Vignettes of Ystov.
Photograph: William Goldsmith
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
William Goldsmith: William Goldsmith
Alongside Marta and Wassily, I had also developed an entirely separate character, a janitor. On returning to Alphabet Soup I wondered if these characters could be linked and hit upon having a city where they all live. This then led me to developing snapshots of various other characters, all within a set city.
Photograph: William Goldsmith
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
William Goldsmith: William Goldsmith
To do this, it was important to develop a fixed 'ensemble cast' of characters. Because some crop up repeatedly, they needed to be distinctive individuals. Here are some character studies for Leopold, a nose sculptor with a penchant for perfect noses.
Photograph: William Goldsmith
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
William Goldsmith: William Goldsmith
These are a set of character studies for the policeman, who makes only a minor appearance but is still quite an unnerving presence.
Photograph: William Goldsmith
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
William Goldsmith: William Goldsmith
It was very important to establish a sense of place for these stories. Images like this snow-bound square were inspired by an old book of postcards from Riga, as well as various Soviet magazine covers from the 60s and 70s.
Photograph: William Goldsmith
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
William Goldsmith: William Goldsmith
Additionally to the individual stories, I wanted to create large double-page spreads that could punctuate the book. Because the stories are so condensed, I hoped that these could act as breathing space for the reader, in between the stories. I also liked the effect of zooming out and then into the city, as the reader went from story to spread. Here is a pencil sketch for the large image of Yelena's market stall...
Photograph: William Goldsmith
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
William Goldsmith: William Goldsmith
... and the final painted version of how it appeared in the book. I created all the artwork for the book on a lightbox, by tracing over a pencil sketch on a separate sheet of paper, using coloured inks.
Photograph: William Goldsmith
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
William Goldsmith: William Goldsmith
Finally, this is a finished page from one of the stories from the book, entitled 'One Fell Swoop'. This one of the only times we see the characters of Eugene Tusk, the Janitor and Leopold overlapping.
QUOTED: "exquisitely designed and produced."
"This is a beautiful book to savor and hold."
The Bind
Publishers Weekly. 263.39 (Sept. 26, 2016): p74.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Listen
Full Text:
The Bind
William Goldsmith. Jonathan Cape (dist. by Trafalgar Square), $39.95 (120p) ISBN 978-0224-09702-4
Exquisitely designed and produced, Goldsmith's second book (following the acclaimed Vignettes of Ystov) is not only an illustrated blueprint of the craft of rebinding rare books, but a dark-humored saga of the downfall of two bookbinder brothers who swindle and double-cross each other. Goldsmith's art dances us through the bookbinding processes, while his script spins an enthralling saga of cunning plans and obsessive greed. There's an impressive amount of technical research on the tools and techniques of the binders, but the charm is in the synthesis of story and picture. The narrative eschews kinetic action in favor of precisely paced panels: most pages contain six identically sized panels, with larger panels breaking into a hallucinatory dream, or in one case a 24-panel page laying out an elaborate swindle. The art is in light blacks and shades of burnt umber that recall antique leather binding. This is a beautiful book to savor and hold. (Nov.)
QUOTED: "While brief, this book begs to be re-read again and again."
Vignettes of Ystov
Publishers Weekly. 259.43 (Oct. 22, 2012): p45.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Listen
Full Text:
* Vignettes of Ystov
William Goldsmith. Random House UK/Jonathan gape, $24.95 trade paper (64p)
ISBN 978-0-224-09036-0
In this odd, delightful book, Goldsmith offers a series of two-page sketches of life in the fictional city of Ystov. Random at first, the stories slowly tie together, as various quirky characters cross paths. Dark undertones haunt this world, including death striking at random and government oppression from KGB-type agents. But there are also moments of humor and whimsy. Maryke Blitzen, an office clerk, is a "renowned flirt," and lovers dream of being reunited and spelling their names with the letters from alphabet soup. The volume is beautifully produced, from the striking end papers to the handwritten table of contents to the sketches of the characters at the front of the volume. Goldsmith's lovely watercolor illustrations, awash in muted pastels, are a compelling cross between Soviet Realism and a Madeline book. While brief, this book begs to be re-read again and again, in the search for new details and connections that are sure to be noticed with each pass. (Nov.)
QUOTED: "it’s the look more than the plot that captivates. Goldsmith’s palette is muted but evocative, and his characterisation playful."
The Bind by William Goldsmith review – dreams, deception and bookbinding
Goldsmith’s second graphic novel features Guy and Victor and their booming business embossing and bejewelling books for the private libraries of the elite
View more sharing options
Shares
11
Comments
0
James Smart
Friday 14 August 2015 11.14 EDT Last modified on Tuesday 2 May 2017 14.39 EDT
William Goldsmith’s second graphic novel takes the reader to another world. Egret Bindings is both showroom and factory, from a time before outsourcing and automation: its 100 workers sew, glue, pare, trim and emboss everything from songbooks and ledgers to artefacts, “jewel studded for the private libraries of the elite”. The printed word is king, and business is booming under brothers Guy and Victor, whose latest triumph is to be A Moonless Land, a one-off edition of poems produced for a rich American, its letters made of gold, its cover a spider with ruby eyes and 96 topazes on its legs. The unveiling of the collection forms the centrepiece of this enjoyable tale, folding out elegantly from its rose-hued pages. The brothers are soon fighting over it, and The Bind is about dreams, deception, disaster and redemption as well as bookbinding. Fittingly, though, it’s the look more than the plot that captivates. Goldsmith’s palette is muted but evocative, and his characterisation playful, the nods, winks, panic and confusion of his characters mixing engagingly with winding staircases, vast bookcases, toiling minions and antique tools of the trade.
• To order A Bind for £16 (RRP £20) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99.
QUOTED: "The sometimes funny, sometimes haunting text that tells the stories perfectly complements it."
"The book is a gem, a wonderful little collection that shows great promise for its debut creator."
Review
Vignettes of Ystov
by William Goldsmith
Buy this book at IndieBound
Buy this book at Amazon
Buy this book at Barnes and Noble
Ages ago, a meteor smashed into the earth, creating a forked crevice. Over time, they filled with water and became the Y-shaped river that inspired the burg of Ystov to take its name. First-time graphic novelist William Goldsmith creates the landscape and the population of Ystov in a series of two-page stories in Vignettes of Ystov, a lovely book that sneaks up on you like a pleasant surprise.
Even at its most melancholy, Vignettes of Ystov has a great deal of wit and whimsy to it. But it’s also a serious book, dealing with serious themes, even if those themes showcase the banality of many people’s lives and ambitions. In one story, a property manager is sent to clean out a deceased janitor’s apartment and finds a museum-like shrine to one ordinary life. The property manager becomes obsessed with it as though it were his life. In a way, it’s easy to see why. In another, two childhood friends, now grown, split up—he’s staying behind in their hometown while she’s moving to Ystov. They make plans to meet again in 40 years, and as she departs, she imagines what that will be like. My personal favorite of all the stories details two astronauts who decide to debunk persistent rumors of coincidences and prove once and for all that they don’t exist.
Goldsmith uses a different palette for each vignette, and he draws in bold brush strokes. The art alone is compelling enough, but the sometimes funny, sometimes haunting text that tells the stories perfectly complements it.
The stories are appropriate for all ages, but the appeal is most likely to lie with adults and older teens. The book is a gem, a wonderful little collection that shows great promise for its debut creator.
Reviewed by John Hogan on April 11, 2011