bukva:raz!

ATypI type design competion deadline extended

Dear all,

It is after 5 a.m. in Moscow (of Tuesday, the 20th of November). We are now past our last deadline for entering designs in bukva:raz! Today/Yesterday was a very busy day at bukva:raz! office. So busy, Anna had no time to send me her daily submission update. I hope she has managed to log in the entries that came over the week-end (there was a very tall pile of packages at her door when she came in). The response from type design community has exceeded our most optimistic expectations: it was tremendous. And the quality of so many entries seems as high as that pile Anna was struggling with.

I should like to express my deep gratitude to all members of this list who contributed to bukva:raz! The 2001 must be the worst year to pick for an endeavour of this magnitude and ambition: it turned out to be an annus terribilis indeed. These days so many things take much more than they used to. It is really easy to succumb to depression and fear, apathy and frustration. To give up. You have not.

I find it most meaningful that our contest is being run under the banner of Dialogue of Civilizations. It is obvious that such dialogue is at the opposite end of the spectrum from terrorism. Terrorists believe that diversity is equal to enmity, and you who take the position that dialogue should be pursued believe in the opposite. You prove it by your deeds.

I look forward to the judging session of bukva:raz! It is scheduled to take place in Moscow on Saturday, the 1st, and Sunday, the 2nd December. The competition promises to be tough. And yet, whatever entries end up being selected by the panel of judges, whoever chances to win in this race is not as important as your enthusiastic participation and the show of solidarity. In fact, you've already won. We all have.

All those whose entries are still on their way to Moscow, relax: we will be accepting all submissions to the very last moment, that is the evening of Friday, 30th November. We all know what the mail is like these days. The mailpeople are our latter-day martyrs: they cannot be blamed, only admired.

Peace,
Maxim Zhukov