Book designer Karl Castro lets people in on the ‘Secret Lives of Books’

Think twice before you make fun of your friend who gasps when she sees a wrinkle on the spine of her book. Before you dismiss her as "OA" for being annoyed at the mark you left on her paperback, consider the laborious process of printing a book—especially in a digital world.

Book designer Karl Castro hopes that his first solo exhibit "The Secret Lives of Books" would help people understand bookmaking, a process that “involves incalculable hours and so many people.” 

The exhibit will be open to the public from May 18 to June 4 at the Filipinas Heritage Library, Ayala Museum, Makati City.

Among the books featured in the exhibit are Ricky Lee’s novels; The Light of Liberty: Documents and Studies of the Katipunan by Jim Richardson (Ateneo de Manila University Press); The Last Tattooed Women of Kalinga by Jake Verzosa (Silverlens); and Recca: From Diliman to the Cordilleras (Southern Voices Printing Press).

The exhibit will be supplemented by a book design workshop on May 23 and 30, geared towards students and creative professionals. Registration fee is P6,500, open until May 21.

Book talks will be held on May 28 and June 4, while an artist talk will be held on May 25. The registration fee is P300 (regular) / P150 (discounted). Interested individuals can fill out an online form provided by the FIlipino Heritage Library.

Castro is a three-time National Book Award winner and he has worked with esteemed authors like Ricky Lee, Rolando Tolentino, and Floy Quintos.

As a Film major in UP, he had also served as layout artist, managing editor, and editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian.

Despite his success, Castro, now 28, still sometimes wonders why he chose print.

"Digital media pushes the boundaries of portability, access, and multisensory experience. It does not invalidate print; digital merely forces us to reevaluate what information we access on which platform. Astute print publishers invest in digital strategies while online 'influencers' mark their success by coming out in print. A book is a book is a book; it remains the gold standard in the circulation of ideas and experiences," Castro said in a statement.

Karl Castro says it is a great honor for him to say he helps make books. Jar Concengco

He admits that no design could cover up lousy content, but also underscored the power of great design to arrest and invite someone to read.

Castro continues, "Often we’re told, judge not a book by its cover, as we should judge not a person by their appearance. But neither can we deny the power of a face, or the eloquence of clothing?and a book cover acts as both. The magic of every reading journey occurs within the pages, contained between two covers, structured by typography, colored by texture and imagery. Design and production values will always be secondary to a book’s content, but paradoxically they are also always essential to the book, the thing itself."

Castro also designs movie posters. His portfolio includes the posters for Lav Diaz’s 2013 epic "Norte" and the 2015 romantic comedy "That Thing Called Tadhana."

"While the bulk of design students will probably choose careers in advertising or interactive design, hopefully a substantial percentage of these graduates will be drawn to the enduring beauty of editorial design," he said.

He added, "Books preserve, and they destroy. They transport us, they locate us.  Each book is an intervention, and a legacy. It is my great honor and pride to say that I help make them." —Aya Tantiangco/KG, GMA News