Greetings,
Maybe you helped us carefully stack stones into cairns, planted trees, or walked through snow and rain with us. Or maybe you found us through a book search, or a friend or loved one’s recommendation. To all of you now reading this message, thank you for purchasing a copy of Walking & Wayfinding in the Westfjords or for supporting our project.
After much silence, we have news.
Nine years ago, we taped maps and empty poster paper to a wall and started drafting ideas for a guidebook to the Westfjords walking trails. We snacked on guillemot eggs and listed our favorite walking routes to include, friends who needed consulting, and creative activities we wanted to share.
Five years ago, we launched on Kickstarter and turned a project that relied on volunteers and friends into a group of over 400 supporters from around the world. Everyone’s support enabled us to print 2,200 copies of our books in Verona, Italy. Since then, hundreds of folks have bought copies of the guidebooks in shops in the Westfjords or via our webstore. Jay still packs each book by hand for shipping, a ritualized swaddling practice made routine over the last four years.
Now, our stocks are dwindling… Our stockists estimate that copies available in Iceland will sell out in stores this year. We also expect our US stock of books we ship globally to sell out before the end of the year.
…. Seeking libraries
To continue sharing our project promoting a gentler, more feral way to tour the Westfjords, we are seeking libraries with appropriate collections to host our books so they remain publicly available. Presently, the books are found in Cornell University Library, Borgarbókasafnið Grófinni – the Reykjavík City Library, Banff Center for Arts & Creativity, and at the Gallatin School of Individualized Studies at New York University. We welcome you to reply to this email with recommendations for libraries with collections that include independent books or themes of environmental art, walking, cultural ecology, or Iceland.
… An invitation
Please also send us stories of your time in Iceland—especially if you used our books or map. We’d love to hear what adventures or reflections our materials inspired. Drop us a quick comment or image letting us know what you thought of our invitation to explore the Westfjords’ hidden, wild corners.
… Remaining copies
We have about 30 copies in Iceland and another 150 in the United States. Books will be sold until stocks are depleted from Old Bookstore in Flateyri, Simbahöllin (Þingeyri), & the Old Bookstore in Reykjavik. Online orders ship from the US, available at https://wayfinding.guide. If you’d like to help us go out with a bang, please share this post and recommend our books to a friend.
With love and gratitude,
Jay Simpson and Henry Fletcher