The Client
Buriton Village Book
Villagers in Buriton, Hampshire produced a remarkable 248-page book charting a pivotal year in the life of their parish.
The Problem
When Buriton’s ‘Village Voice’ group won a £5,000 prize for its Parish Plan they wanted to invest the winnings in something that the whole community benefited from. They came up with the idea of creating a book showing a snapshot of village life in the landmark Diamond Jubilee and Olympics year of 2012.
The Answer
Despite a limited budget, Buriton residents were keen to capture the essence of their beautiful village in a high-quality publication. They enrolled the help of local villagers and friendly neighbours including professional graphic designers, journalists, editors and photographers who all worked on the project free of charge. This is where I came in – as a contributor to the publication but also as a joint-editor. I then wrote the press release that accompanied the book launch.
Editing copy that is written from the heart but perhaps lacks an experienced writer’s finesse, it’s important to retain the integrity and passion of the piece whilst ensuring it’s an enjoyable and interesting read for the wider audience.
The Result
The hardback book was lavishly illustrated with more than 850 photographs, covering colourful one-off events as well as traditions going back decades in the village. It was given to everyone in the village, sold more widely and sent to Buckingham Palace.
It was a brilliant project to be involved in and hopefully one that will inspire people to retain a sense of community in years to come.
