The University of Queensland

The book is so familiar that we barely notice it; that is, until we encounter one that doesn’t look quite right. This exhibition explores books that subvert conventions of form, that experiment with shape, structure, and even texture in order to push the boundaries of storytelling.

These works are alluring, but their differences also evoke suspicion; they are often dismissed as gimmicks or novelties for the very reason that they attract our fascination. While the books assembled in this exhibition are certainly novel, these novelties serve to explore the limits and potential of the book.

In the era of electronic literature, it seems that questions about the book, its definition and relevance, are particularly pertinent. However, writers have long challenged the notion of story.

In the 1700’s, Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy discarded convention even as the idea of ‘the novel’ was just developing, and since then, many writers have followed suit.

Some of these innovations have become conventions themselves, integral to our concept of fiction. But regardless, these books continue to remind us that there is no rule, other than convention, that dictates how a story should be told.