Author Archives → Amy Papaelias

Happy 10th Birthday, Alphabettes!

Today is Alphabettes.org’s 10th Birthday! On our first birthday, we celebrated with cake. On our fifth birthday, we celebrated with wood type. Five years later, we’re still here and this time, we’re celebrating the milestone with a book! Our book.

Alphabettes Soup cover and spine, designed by Tereza Bettinardi, featuring glyphs from over 70 typefaces 0_o

Alphabettes Soup: Feminist Approaches to Type
384 pages
100+ contributors
55 original articles, essays, and interviews
120+ typefaces by women and non-binary people

Alphabettes Soup: Feminist Approaches to Type features over 55 articles, essays, and interviews exploring intersections between culture, language, business practices, technology, and type. It also includes interviews with Alphabettes members, visual histories, and reflections on past and ongoing initiatives. More than an anthology, the book is conceived as a type specimen, showcasing over 120 typefaces designed by women and non-binary individuals. Aimed at challenging dominant narratives in type history and contemporary practice, the book ultimately seeks to inspire future generations to create their own decentralized design communities.

Various images from Alphabettes Soup. Copyright respective authors.

What’s inside?

  • The Alphabettes origin story: radical spontaneity, humor, and friendship in action.
  • Impacts of key Alphabettes initiatives like the Mentorship Program, AlphaCrit, and the iconic 24-Hour Hangouts.
  • Highlights from the Alphabettes blog, from the beloved Love Letters series to the timeless Dear Alphabettes advice column.
  • Insights on type design, pedagogy, and multiscript politics.
  • Cultural histories of scripts from Armenia to Zimbabwe.
  • Interviews with over a dozen leading type practitioners, educators, and agitators.
  • Our crazy typesetting rule: One dypeface. One designer. Used only once. Over 120 typefaces in use designed by women and gender-diverse individuals.

Need more? Just a few of the 55 articles you’ll find in the pot:

  • “Marginal Presence: Gender Bias in 21st Century Type (So Far)” by Sibylle Hagmann
  • “Tools of Resistance: Ukrainian Type History in Contemporary Context” by Kateryna Korolevtseva
  • “Tu Letra es Poderosa:  8M Poster-Making Across México” by Romina Hernandez
  • “On Designing Type: Writing the Book I Wanted to Read” by Karen Cheng
  • “أحْرُف وكَلِمَاتْ وقِصَص: Toward a Multiscript Type Design Program” by Naïma Ben Ayed
  • “Brave Spaces: Bye Bye Binary in Conversation” by Amy Papaelias and Nina Paim
  • “Behind the Headers: 250+ Ways to Say Alphabettes” by Dafne Martinez, including the full ten-year archive of blog headers
  • “In Good Faith: Advice on Running a Font Foundry” by Joyce Ketterer
  • “Rereading, Rewriting, Rethinking: On Alternative Publishing Practices” by Pooja Saxena
    … and so much more! 

Alphabettes x Bikini Books

In March 2024, I reached out to Nina Paim who had just hatched a new independent feminist publisher, Bikini Books, with an idea that had been living rent-free in my brain for too long: an edited volume celebrating ten years of Alphabettes, published in time to celebrate its 10th birthday. Nina was intrigued. I was relieved. 

Tereza Bettinardi joined in the kitchen as the book’s typographic chef, unphased by the absolutely bonkers idea of using different typefaces for every article title and text. Eight months later, Nina found herself at my kitchen table in New York, reading early article drafts, brainstorming typographic puns, planning DIY fundraising, and making soup from scratch. Tereza found herself concocting the book cover out of hundreds of glyphs, sprinkling in a few hidden messages to savor. 

Tereza, Nina, and Amy and some guy’s statue in Mainz, Germany in April 2025, meeting in-person altogether for the first time. I think he was like a printer or something?

After a year and a half of editing, meeting, scheming, designing, and spreadsheeting, we’re almost ready to serve. While copy editor extraordinaire Caren Litherland puts the finishing touches on the texts and Tereza whips up a font feast for your eyes, today celebrates the start of the pre-order of Alphabettes Soup. Bon Appétit!

How Can You Support Independent Feminist Publishing? Pre-order your copy of Alphabettes Soup today!

It’s not easy to operate as an independent publisher in the world today (it never was of course!). Thanks to the geopolitical hellscape we’re all living in, deranged executive orders and dystopian tariffs impact even the mightiest of small publishers just trying to make beautiful books about typography and feminism (while maintaining ethical production practices as much as possible). Your support of this project means the world to us and the best way to keep this pot boiling is to pre-order your copy and perhaps one for a friend? This soup is made for sharing!

Soup Sponsors

This book is coming together thanks to the generous sponsorship of the following companies in the design and type industry: 

adcStudio • Bizlet • Blast Foundry • Blaze Type • Commercial Type • Contrast Foundry • Dalton Maag • Darden Studio • Dinamo • DJR • Fatype • Fontself • Fontstand • Formagari • Frere-Jones Type • Future Fonts • Glyphs • Kerns and Cairns • ​Klim Type Foundry • Kontour • Kilotype • Lineto • Morisawa • Nova Type • OH no Type Co • Plau Design • Readymag • R-Typography • SwissTypefaces • TypeMates • TypeTogether • TypeNetwork • Typotheque • Universal Thirst • XYZ Type • Zetafonts

We also thank all of the individual donors who have generously contributed via PayPal and will also be acknowledged in the book. You know who you are ♡.

Le Colophon

Organized and edited by Amy Papaelias
Foreword by Teal Triggs
Copy and line editing by Caren Litherland
Editorial assistance by Xindha Yaeger

Coordination by Nina Paim
Publishing assistance by Sera van de Water

Design by Studio Tereza Bettinardi
Design assistance by Guilherme Mohr and Lou Huguenin
Illustrations by Vitória Bas

Authors: Alessia Mazzarella ♡ Amy Papaelias ♡ Anna Srikitkul ♡ Bianca Berning ♡ Boom Promphan Suksumek ♡ Briar Levit ♡ Carine Vadet-Perrot ♡ Catherine Dixon ♡ Catherine Griffiths ♡ Chris Campe ♡ Dina Benbrahim ♡ Dafne Martinez ♡ Dyana Weissman ♡ Elena Veguillas ♡ Eleni Beveratou ♡ Elizabeth Carey Smith ♡ Evelyn Wh-ell ♡ Garine Gokceyan ♡ Imad Gebrayel ♡ Indra Kupferschmid ♡ Isabel Urbina Peña ♡ Jessica Griscti ♡ Jillian Adel ♡ Joyce Ketterer ♡ Julia Novitch ♡ Kaiya Warea ♡ Karen Cheng ♡ Kateryna Korolevtseva ♡ Laura Meseguer ♡ Liron Lavi Turkenich ♡ Lisa Huang ♡ Luisa Baeta ♡ Lynne Yun ♡ Mallory Haselberger ♡ Maria Montes ♡ Maria Paganopoulou ♡ Mariko Takagi ♡ Maryam Golpayegani ♡ Muk Monsalve ♡ Nadine Chahine ♡ Naïma Ben Ayed ♡ Nina Paim ♡ Nina Stössinger ♡ Nora Gummert-Hauser ♡ Pooja Saxena ♡ Ragini Siruguri ♡ Robin Mientjes ♡ Romina Hernandez ♡ Roxane Gataud ♡ Sahar Afshar ♡ Sandra Garcia ♡ Sandra Morales ♡ Schessa Garbutt ♡ Shaqa Bovand ♡ Sibylle Hagmann ♡ Sol Matas ♡ Sophia Tai ♡ Susana Carvalho ♡ Tânia Raposo ♡ Tanya George ♡ Taylor Childers ♡ Taurai Valerie Mtake ♡ TIffany Wardle ♡ Veronika Burian ♡ Victoria Rushton ♡ Zainab Marvi

Interviews with: Alice Savoie ♡ Bye Bye Binary (Camille Circlude, Ludi Loiseau, Eugénie Bidaut, Sophie Vela, and Enz@ Le Garrec) ♡ Carolina Giovagnoli ♡ Fiona Ross ♡ Georgia Angelopoulos ♡ Jessica Harjo ♡ Irene Vlachou ♡ Kathleen Sleboda ♡ Loraine Furter ♡ Maha Akl ♡ Mohamed Gaber ♡ Monique Ortman ♡ María Ramos ♡ Sadie Red Wing ♡ Violet Duncan

With additional contributions by: Agnieszka Ewa Olszewska ♡ Aleksandra Samuļenkova ♡ Alexderik S.J. Berlers ♡ Azucena León ♡ Alina Kiliwa ♡ Alisa Nowak ♡ Allie Schmitz ♡ Alyona Korysta ♡ Amélie Bonet ♡ Aoife Mooney ♡ Anagha Narayanan ♡ Ana Sanikidze ♡ Anita Jürgeleit ♡ Anna Cairns ♡ Anya Danilova ♡ Ariadne Remoundakis ♡ Barbara Bigosinska ♡ Blondina Elms Pastel ♡ Brooke Hull ♡ Carolyn Porter ♡ Céline Odermatt ♡ Clara Cayosa ♡ Diana Ovezea ♡ Đông Trúc ♡ Elena Papassissa ♡ Elena Schneider ♡ Émilie Rigaud ♡ Erin McLaughlin ♡ Fabiola Mejía ♡ Fátima Lázaro ♡ Fer Cozzi ♡ Florence Fu ♡ Francesca Bolognini ♡ Frida Medrano ♡ Golnar Kat Rahmani ♡ Heidi Rand Sørensen ♡ Hendrika Makilya ♡ Inga Plönnigs ♡ Irina Koryagina ♡ Jen Mussari ♡ Joana Correia ♡ Joohee Lee ♡ Julieta Ulanovsky ♡ June Shin ♡ Justine Herbel ♡ Kaja Słojewska ♡ Kamilah Carter ♡ Kara Gordon ♡ Kelly Thorn ♡ Keya Vadgama ♡ Kimya Gandhi ♡ Laura Serra ♡ Laura Worthington ♡ Leah Spencer ♡ Lena Weber ♡ Lila Symons ♡ Linda Hintz ♡ Lipi Raval ♡ Lisa Fischbach ♡ Lisa Maione ♡ Lisa Timpe ♡ Liz DeLuna ♡ Louisa Fröhlich ♡ Lora Shtirkova ♡ Lucila Guajardo ♡ Maria Doreuli ♡ Mariko Saji ♡ Marisol Ortega ♡ May Jolyvet ♡ Meghan Arnold ♡ Mint Tantisuwanna ♡ Mónica Munguía ♡ Nada Abdallah ♡ Najla Badran ♡ Namrata Goyal ♡ Natalie Rauch ♡ Nicole Arnett Phillips ♡ Noopur Datye ♡ Noheul Lee ♡ Océane Juvin ♡ Omaima Dajani ♡ Paula Mastrangelo ♡ Purvi Kotharii ♡ Raafia Jessa ♡ Raven Mo ♡ Rosalie Wagner ♡ Ruxandra Duru ♡ Sabrina Lopez ♡ Salomi Desai ♡ Samar Zuriek ♡ Sara Gregs ♡ Selina Bernet ♡ Shiva Nallaperumal ♡ Shuchita Grover ♡ Sol Uauage ♡ Snehal Patil ♡ Soulaf Khalifeh ♡ Spike Spondike ♡ Stéphane Dupont ♡ Theresa dela Cruz ♡ Thalia Echevarria ♡ TienMin Liao ♡ Ulrike Rausch ♡ Valentina Casali ♡ Valery Marier ♡ Victoria & Vitalina Lopukhina ♡ Vitória Neves ♡ Yaprak Buse Çağlar ♡ Yesha Goshar ♡ Zenab Bastawala ♡ Zeynep Akay ♡ Zrinka Buljubašić

All spelling errors or missing names are completely my fault. My inbox awaits!

Make a wish! Cake styling and video by Sera van de Water with Nina Paim

Feeling Seen, Eating Cake, Making Soup

It’s been over three months since the SEEN–Around the World Symposium, hosted at the LUX Pavilion and organized by Gutenberg University of Applied Sciences in Mainz, Germany, April 9–11, 2025. Presented in a hybrid format, the conference brought together presentations and discussions with women and non-binary designers on topics related to typography, type design, and lettering. Rather than provide a detailed conference overview, here are some snapshots from the 3-day adventure, which included silly photoshoots with the Papa Gutenberg statue.

Continue reading →

Book Alert: Alphabettes Soup!

Next year, Alphabettes turns 10, and we’re celebrating with a pot-luck book! Alphabettes Soup: Ten Years of Feminist Approaches to Type will be served up — piping hot — in September 2025, published by Bikini Books, a feminist publisher based in Porto. Read all about it here: bikini-books.com/products/alphabettes-soup-2015-2025-ten-years-of-feminist-approaches-to-type

Help us make the Soup!

To date, we’ve raised about half of the total amount we need to bring this book to boil. We still have a long way to go, and this is where we’d love your help! All funds go to the printing and production, as well as offering honorariums to authors. You can also help us spread the word.

➤Are you a company, and would you like to sponsor this book? Reach out at sponsorships@bikini-books.com.

➤Are you an individual who would like to make a donation? 💚 DONATE VIA PAYPAL 💚

All sponsorships and donations will be acknowledged in the book. Every spoonful of your support helps! 🥄😘

Join the Alphabettes Soup Mailing List!

Receive updates on the book’s progress, pre-sale announcements, and invite you to our launch events. Stay tuned for next steps! 🥣😘👌💚

 

Alphabettes Variety Show: June 13, 2024

We’re back for the Alphabettes Variety Show at the TypeLab at Typographics on Thursday, June 13, 2024, 12:45-1:20p EDT! This year some of us will be at 41 Cooper Square, but you’re also welcome to join from the comfort of wherever you are via the livestream or sign up for the TypeLab Zoom link to participate, ask questions, share soup recipes, etc.

Now in its 7th edition, but first back in Cooper Union since 2018, the Variety Show includes live interviews, interactive activities, and fun things. While we can’t guarantee more dance lessons or birthday cakes, we might have a few more surprise up our sleeves. Stay tuned to find out! ⭐️

2024 Variety Show graphic features Tiny Grotesk by Robin Mientjes.

Very Cool Thing: Words on Type

The last time Lisa Huang shared a Very Cool Thing on Alphabettes, she published her research on Noto Sans Nüshu script, and the community of women behind it. Two and a half years later, Lisa is back to answer some questions on her newest Very Cool Thing, Words of Type.

Tell us about your new project and Kickstarter campaign!
Words of Type is an encyclopedia of typography, with each term illustrated, described and explained into multiple languages. Each term is explained in concise and straight forward terms to be easily understood, and illustrated by multiple artists to bring visual variety and fun. To bring the various typographic cultures closer together, there will be not only terms from Latin typography, but also those of other writing systems. To give a (literally) better access to typographic knowledge, it’s going to be a website that gives free access to everyone, everywhere. And it will grow and evolve over time, with more languages and words.

Continue reading →

Alphabettes Variety Show: June 15, 2023

Variety Show text with a gradient background and animated text

Alphabettes Variety Show is back for its 🤯6th edition🤯 of live interviews, interactive activities, and other surprises as part of TypeLab at Typographics. We’ll be mostly online again but if you’re in NYC, go check out the in-person TypeLab at Cooper Union.

Grab your mug of tea or beer or anything in between and join the TypeLab Europe channel on Thursday, June 15 from 11-12:00 (EDT/UTC-4)! Register here or check out the full list of event on the TypeLab site.

2023 Variety Show graphic by Sandra García featuring the soon-to-be-released typeface Sandhouse!

Who is an industry leader?

a white coffee mug with the text, Industry Leader, set on it in the font Lobster

Who is an industry leader?

What makes one qualified to use this title? Is there a certain amount of time someone needs to be professionally active in a field to call themselves one? Is it others’ perception that matters? How are these concepts tied to gender, class, race, geography? Why do structures exist to perpetuate the use of the term and why do we think this is acceptable?

I’ll be sitting here thinking about these questions while sipping my tea.

Not your average type conference: Typefobia, this weekend Feb 4–5

A few weeks ago, I found the most wonderful surprise in my in-box: a 15-page PDF outlining what appeared to be a kind of alternative typographic universe: an “anti-conference about the ‘culture’ of letter design”. It’s Typefobia, happening this weekend, February 4 and 5, online and in Puebla, México.

a blue sky with white puffy clouds with yellow text "Hiiii!" in Comic Sans

This is not your average type conference and Typefobia organizers, Romina and Karly, answered some questions about how this weekend intends to challenge industry / academic expectations and reimagine what a design conference can be.

Continue reading →

Leaving a Mark: Ezhishin Interviews

Next month, the Type Directors Club will present Ezhishin, a conference focused on Native North American typography. From Friday November 11 – Sunday November 13, the virtual conference will feature the voices and work of Native North American type designers, lettering artists, design educators, printers, researchers, and more. This Q&A with four the Ezhishin presenters, Violet Duncan, Jessica Harjo, Monique Ortman, Sadie Red Wing, and Kathleen Sleboda, highlights some of their ways of working, recommended readings, and what leaving a mark means to them.

Violet Duncan

Violet Duncan is Plains Cree and Taino from Kehewin Cree Nation. Touring nationally and internationally since 1991, she has performed for audiences across the United States, Canada, and Europe through work as a Native American dancer, hoop dancer, choreographer, storyteller, and author. Violet is a former “Miss Indian World”, representing all Indigenous people of North America. After becoming a mother of 4 and seeing the need for Native representation in literature, she took it upon herself to author three award-winning children’s books: I am Native, When We Dance, and Lets Hoop Dance! She has recently joined the family of Penguin Random House with two new children’s books and a middle school novel coming out 2023/24. Violet is the Creative Director of Young Warriors, where she aims to create space for programming of Indigenous performance and practice.

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