Author: Fern Smith

I hope I don’t have to wait toooo long before they get back to me. I applied to apply on 14/5/2026. There was no record, so I have applied again 27/5/2026 😮 at The Guinness Book of Records.

I created this artwork in 2014 however it had a spelling mistake, now fixed 2026. Reflecting upon equality advocacy is a constant.

The Longest Book in the World – Geelong has achieved 600+ metres by one thousand authors and illustrators contributing. It is now the longest eco-friendly concertina book in the world. The front and back pages yet to complete I wonder how long it will be then? It is anticipated that this will be achieved by end of March/April 2026.

the to do list. You now all those bits you sometimes flick past in a book however they are essential. Such as: The leaves – those pages of design pattern or blank pages
Title – bit essential, requires two pages at least for this book
more artwork
Title Page – now the full title
More pages: the visual description of the 58 suburbs in Greater Geelong
Imprint: about what the book is
more artwork
Copyrights: all that legal stuff
more artwork
Disclaimer: more legal bits
more artwork
About the book
Dedication and thankyous
Endoresments
About the artist
Contents: oh my that is quite lengthy

Hope to give you vaguely regular updates.

It was a pleasure to be asked to create a book cover. The process started last year. One version is completed. It will be interesting to see the final version.

A dear friend and creative died suddenly, we couldn’t make it to the wake as it involved driving in above 40 degree heat for hours.

While huddling from the heat wave and thinking of the most salient parts of our friend I drew and drew all day and into days like a wild thing.

It was such a joy to have the quiet holiday time to draw. I love digital drawing, a very immersive endeavour. The longest book project has kept me at away.

When the drawings looked finished, I popped into a Camera and Print shop at Ocean Grove Shopping centre on the off chance they may have the capacity for digital print on German cotton rag 300gsm. They did/ do. Oh, what a feeling.

The service was fantastic. A short turnaround even during the warm tourist months; above all the colour was exactly how it was when drawing in my computer. It’s like magic still after 26 years of digital drawing.

Links to my now fabulous printer: Camera and Photo and https://www.facebook.com/OceanGroveCameraPhoto/

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For copyright release permission go to Copyright Agency Limited. My thoughts on copyrights

Longest Book in the World timeline. 2022-2025
2022

1. 20 September 2022 Leoplod Library
2. 25/11/2022 – Drysdale Museum
3. 10th February 2023 Chilwell Library
4. 24th February Drysdale Museum High Street Drysdale–
5. 3rd March Chilwell Library
6. 12 April Geelong West Library
7. 19 April Geelong West Library
8. 28 April Drysdale Library – noon workshop
9. 26 May Drysdale Museum
10. 2nd Tues. May Boronggook Drysdale Library
11. 9th Tues. May Boronggook Drysdale Library
12. 31st Wed. Boronggook Drysdale Library
13. 6th June Boronggook Drysdale Library (artist in residence 1-2 pm)
14. 12th June Boronggook Library Drysdale (artist in residence 1-2 pm)
15. 27th June Corio Library
16. 27th June Boronggook Library Drysdale (artist in residence 1-2 pm)
17. 28th June Geelong Library and Heritage Centre
18. 29th August Lara Library
19. 5th Sept Lara Library
20. 5th sept. Boronggook Drysdale (artist in residence)
21. 19th Sept.Geelong Library & Heritage Centre
22. 12h sept. Boronggook Drysdale (artist in residence)
23. 19th Boronggook Drysdale
24. 20th Corio Library
25. 21st Sept. Boronggook Drysdale Library (artist in residence)
26. 26th September Geelong Library and Heritage Centre
27. 26th Corio Library
28. 12th Nov. Boronggook Drysdale Library (artist in residence)
29. 21st Nov. Boronggook Drysdale Library (artist in residence)
30. 28th Nov. Lara Library
31. 16 January 2024 Chilwell library
32. 17th January Geelong West Library –
33. 23 January Chilwell library
34. 24th January Geelong West Library
35. 3rd April Geelong West Library
36. 2nd April Chilwell library
37. 9th April Chilwell library
38. 10th April Geelong West
39. 11th April Belmont Library (2hrs a double booking)
40. 9th May Leopold Library
41. 23rd May Leopold Library
42. 13th June Queenscliff Library
43. 20th June Queenscliff Library
    Posts: Longest Book workshops in Queenscliff – June 2024 – FernArtz
44. 3rd July Corio Library
45. 10th July Corio Library
46. 23rd July Geelong Library and heritage Centre
47. 6th August Bannockburn library
48. 7th August Bannockburn library
49. 15th Aug. Boronggook – Drysdale Library
50. 19th Aug. Lara Library
51. 20th Aug Geelong Library and heritage Centre
52. 29th August Lara Library
53. 17th Sept. Geelong Library and heritage Centre
54. 24th Sept Geelong Library and heritage Centre
55. 25th Sept Corio Library
56. 9th Sept Embroiders Guild
57. 6th October Ocean Grove Library
58. 24th October Lara Library
59. 2nd November Bellarine Arts Trail Queenscliff Town Hall
60. 3rd November Bellarine Arts Trail Queenscliff Town Hall
61. 14th November Lara Library
62. 29th Nov. GLRC Staff day Geelong Library and heritage Centre
63. 6th February Bannockburn Library
64. 24th February Embroiders Guild
65. 1st March Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library
66. 5th March Belmont Library
67. 6th March Lara Library
68. 7th March Boronggook Drysdale library
69. 9th March Portarlington Agricultural Show – under Bellarine Landcare
70. 10th Boronggook Drysdale
71. 17th March Ocean Grove Library
72. 20th Belmont Library
73. 21st March Drysdale Primary School – under Landcare Banner
74. 26th Barwon Heads Library
75. 8th April Geelong Library and Heritage centre
76. 9th April Geelong West
77. 10th April Belmont Library
78. 11th April Armstrong Library
79. 15th April Belmont Library
80. 16th April Geelong West
81. 17th April Geelong Library and Heritage centre
82. 24th April Queenscliff
83. 3rd May Bannockburn
84. 8th May Geelong/Dome library
85. 10th May Boranggook-Drysdale Library
86. 14th May Ingenia Lifestyle Village Lara (residents only)
87. 14th May South Barwon Community Centre
88. 9th July Geelong West Library
89. 15th July Geelong Library and Heritage Centre
90. 16th July Geelong West Library
91. 24th July Geelong Library and Heritage Centre
92. 7th August Lara Library
93. 18th Aug Wangala Primary School
94. 19th Aug Wangala Primary School
95. 20th Aug Wangala Primary School
96. 21st Aug Wangala Primary School
97. 22nd Aug Wangala Primary School
98. 13th Sept. LBITW workshop Geelong Embroiderers Guild Exhibition
99. 14th Sept. LBITW workshop Geelong Embroiderers Guild Exhibition
100. 23rd Geelong Library and Heritage Centre
101. 24th Geelong West Library
102. 1st October Geelong Library and Heritage Centre
103. 1st October Geelong West
104. 11th October Leopold Primary School with SES Bellarine
105. 12th October Wombats Wish Portarlington with SES Bellarine
106. 4th November Geelong Library and Heritage Centre
107. 5th November Waurn Ponds.
     With just a wee bit more to go.