When Fadi approached us with his poems, our collaborative discussions quickly led to the idea of a 'hybrid' book, combining his poems and drawings side by side.
Together, we selected, reviewed, and refined the poems, focusing particularly on versification and rhythm, and decided on the best order in which to present them.
Next, we worked on the layout and cover in coordination with a team of graphic designers.
We then guided Fadi through the administrative details, such as assigning the ISBN, and finally, together we uploaded the book’s artwork onto the print-on-demand platform. This process also enabled Fadi to learn how to replicate it for his future creations.
Paréidolies is available through this link.
I started writing in the late '90s—mostly poetry, reflections, and bursts of inspiration. But above all, poetry. I also loved drawing, letting the movement of the pen take on a different form.
I met Youssef, a student in Paris, ten years earlier. Back then, there was no Eukalypto. But the seeds of creativity were already sprouting—a fertile ground of kindness, with a sun of enthusiasm shining behind his smile, the lenses of his glasses, and his brown curls. We lost touch but reconnected in Lebanon during the summer of 2011.
Since then, I’ve accumulated hundreds of texts and thousands of drawings, but the challenge was sculpting this raw material—chiseling the stone and giving it life. Writing and publishing are two very different things. I needed help: an outside perspective, the advice of a professional who would listen patiently, creatively, and with care. I needed structure, architecture, and meticulous proofreading. With Eukalypto, Youssef provided that framework. Professionalism, attention to detail, a love and mastery of language, rigor, and freedom—these are just some of the qualities you’ll find under this tree.
I’ll never be a publisher; it’s a profession in itself. But by climbing into Eukalypto, I’ve become an author—and, for the first time, a published one!