Make a Book of Where you Are
To celebrate World Book Day 2026, let’s Make a Book of Where You Are! If it was down to me, we’d have an annual World Book Making Day as well…but a free monthly project all through the year will do. And this one requires minimal kit – just three things – ideal for making books on the move when out and about.
You’ll need:
- A strip of heavy-duty paper (I’ve used 300gsm Bockingford, around 45cm long and 15cm high, or 18 inches long and 6 inches high)
- A coloured pencil
- A pair of scissors
- A view (outside, inside, real or imagined…)
Step-by-step:
Where are you?! Decide what you’re going to draw – choose a simple-ish silhouette – unless you’re
a) a whiz with scissors
or
b) have all day.
Start with a continuous horizon line.
Without overthinking (Hello Mrs. Perfection and Mr. Comparison I see you) loosely sketch out what you can see. I found it easier to use my non-dominant hand for this.
Edinburgh Castle has dramatic contours…and lots of windows. As you can tell, I was aiming for an impression rather than verisimilitude.
Add a few more details. You can always embellish more later too.
Cut around the silhouette. For stylistic purposes (and to avoid too many fiddly bits) I decided to leave a little gap instead of cutting right on the line.
Now fold your strip into a concertina. It does not have to be even or regular – you can have a narrow page followed by a really wide page. I made the castle ramparts on the left hand edge the first page.
As this is a standalone sculptural kind of book, the normal conventions about where a book starts do not apply. Preferably you’ll want the book to stand up, but it can also prop or hang.
Turn over to use the reverse side for words; a written description of this time/place/feeling.
Jaunty Mighty Oak Scarf by Donna Wilson.
Many thanks to Sarah Drummond at Premier for arranging the photoshoot, to Chloe McAleece for snapping the first and last image, and Pako Mera for being such a generous pro.
What a delight to celebrate World Book Day in UNESCO’s first City of Literature – Edinburgh!
Where are you?! Will you make a book of where you are?
Thanks so much for this. I can’t draw but will do my best to make something!
Ah Mary, Have fun and don’t worry about whether you can draw or not! Bestest wishes, Rachel
Hi What a wonderful page ! Would love to try to do one of this! Live in Gothenburg in Sweden but are planning to go to Scotland in september for the first time by train 🤗 / Ingrid
Dear Ingrid! Hurray for enjoying this page, and have a lovely time in Scotland in September. Hope you’ll try out this project, in Gothenburg, or on the train, or anywhere else you find yourself! Best and bookiest, Rachel
What a cool idea! We live in Montana, and a big cliff of sandstone is behind us that is going to be my silhouette. I read one time a musician would get up in the morning sketch his horizon, and then place notes on it to make music I thought that was such
a beautiful thing… But I love this idea for us visual artist!
Dear Karen, Oh I love the idea of your big sandstone cliff silhouette! And thank you for describing the musician’s morning sketch – very inspiring. Hurray and thanks, Rachel
Wow I love this idea! We were actually visiting Scotland in May from Vancouver and enjoyed this remarkable view! Thanks!
Ah Leah! Love that you enjoyed that very same view, and hope you found good contrasts between Vancouver and Edinburgh X