Paper Road by Nigel Macfarlane
One thing I always enjoy about reading Eland books is the opportunity to delve into new cultures and new places from the comfort of my armchair. The opportunity to discover something new is something I relish, and Paper Road: Encounters with papermakers in India, Nepal and Bhutan by
Being a book lover, the thought of papermaking does often pop into my head, and although an area I know nothing I was enchanted by the notion of someone writing a book on the very subject my wandering brain often creates. In Paper Road, Macfarlane invites us to join his adventure (after a Puja, of course) and an introduction to friends and business partners, including the formidable Vasudevan, with whom Macfarlane established their own paper factory, who acts not just as a partner, but friend and guide through the course of their lives.
Not just an introduction to paper making in India, Paper Road is an exploration of the geopolitical history of the art, which, according to some, is in dispute between India and China, and China certainly plays a significant part in the narration of the book, linking China, Tibet and India and intrinsic in the practice, but also the entwined histories of these three countries.
Paper Road is a fascinating and humorous travelogue and history of papermaking in India and neighbouring countries. Being the only account of the author’s own life, not just in researching and developing artisan handmade paper industry, but creating access worldwide. Paper Road provides a captivating and charming insight, not just into the methods of the history and manufacture of paper, but also Macfarlane’s journey to find his own place in the world.
