News: The Longest Book will be on display later in the year at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre (The Dome). The Guiness Book of Records process of application has started.
About: ‘The Longest Eco-Friendly Book in the World,’ is a concertina book, handmade, eco-friendly, and made with The City of Greater Geelong community. The aim is to be the longest eco-friendly book in the world. The project started in mid-2022 and the community engagement workshops concluded early 2026. It is 697.75 meters long consisting of 2791 pages.
The focus of the book was of our favourite places/spots in the City of Greater Geelong. Creatives of all ages and abilities were invited to join local artist Fern Smith to help create the longest eco-friendly book in the world, page by page, at workshops in libraries and community spaces. The community of creators have written. drawn, collaged and needled worked page by page. The ages spanned from approximately 7months to 91 years old.
The project is kindly supported by organisations and groups who provided workshop space and publish events. They are Geelong Regional Libraries (GRLC), Drysdale Museum, Bellarine Landcare Nursery, Wangala Primary, Bellarine Catchment Network, Swan Bay Environment Group, Geelong Writers Inc, Geelong Embroiders Guild and the Queenscliff Marine Discovery Research Centre.
What is a safe environmentally friendly concertina book?
Its culmination of all the materials used. My benchmark is can it be composited for your veggie patch and/or if it fell in the river would cause no harm.
Paper used in this book is of pre- and post-consumer paper. The book pages are made from the end rolls of the Post office tuff-bags. The brown paper in tuff-bags is from recycled papers. (double recycled) donated by Sealed Air.
The collage paper is from out-of-date post-consumer Geelong Visitor Information Centre of the Geelong Region – booklets, flyers, and foldouts. Pre-consumer papers from Doggett of FSC®, PEFC, carbon neutral, post & pre consumer waste fibre and recycled stocks.
Cottons and wools used in the stitched pages
Pencils both graphite and coloured – within my control no markers or modern crayons used as there is petroleum by products used.
Paint is water colour. No acrylic paints/polymers used within my control
Glue that binds the book and used in the collaged pages is wheaten corn flour, water, and essential oil made by the artist/facilitator Fern Smith. Link Recipe
WORKSHOPS
The workshops were held at many locations around The City of Greater Geelong. They were casual, no skill level required and open to all members of the public. The Longest Book in the World held its last GLRC library workshop at Waurn Ponds Library on the 4th of November with an enthusiastic group of post-toddlers and guardians in the front light filled room. Regular workshops were held from September 2022 to January 2026, We achieved, to date, the longest eco-friendly concertina book in the world.
Follow FaceBook: Currently on break until the new year see you then. https://www.facebook.com/longestbookgeelong/
Journal log found here to be updated to reflect 2024
Tiny sample of Participants work: Embroidery, lino print, drawing, collage and writing.
Before the extension and after it got too big for a carry case 2024
QUERY: Send a text message to 0408978747. Leave your name and short query or fill out form at the bottom of this page. There have been a lot of queries on how to make the eco-friendly glue. Here is the link.