Recently, I have been working with writer Arnold Van Bruggen to complete The Black Country, a new chapter within our multi-year project The Europeans. The original idea was that The Black Country - after The Former Capital - would be the second chapter within The Europeans and would be published in 2020. That turned out differently.

Due to corona, we had limited opportunities to travel for a while and decided to make the chapter The Naval Base in our own country first. Then, in 2022, we got a great opportunity to work in the French Basque Country, leading to Our Ancestral Home. After three completed chapters, it is now finally the turn to The Black Country. The work is done, the concept is set, photos have been selected and texts written. At the end of September, The Europeans’ new publication will finally be released.

Since The Europeans’ first chapter The Former Capital, interested people are welcomed to adopt a region for 120 euros. As a thank you, these contributors receive a numbered hardcover edition with print. More importantly, this group helps us to make it possible for the regular paperback edition to be offered locally at the lowest possible price. So far, we have managed to offer the publication at local presentations for €9.50. And it works! People who don’t buy expensive photo books do buy our publications. And that’s what we are aiming for.

We recently received the latest quote from the printer for production of the paperback and numbered hardcover editions of The Black Country. The cost price for the regular paperback edition has increased by 35% in three years, for the hardcover even slightly more. Our economic model around these publications has thus become unsustainable. We need to raise the price (against our ideology), downsize the publications (rather not) or come up with another solution. Who knows may speak up.

In case you have not yet adopted The Black Country, you might want to consider doing so. This will allow us to accommodate some of the extra costs involved in the upcoming publication. Also, it is the last chance to order a numbered hardcover edition with print from us at this price. Click on the link for more information on our adopt-a-region donation system.

Together with writer Arnold van Bruggen, I will present our new chapter The Naval Base through an exhibition and launch of the accompanying publication in Het Pompgemaal in Den Helder at the end of October. The Naval Base is a new chapter within our ten-year ongoing project The Europeans, a document on Europe in a time of drastic change. Mark the date, the official opening is on Wednesday 27 October at 5 pm. You are invited! More information will follow in the upcoming weeks.

Until next Friday, 1 October, you can still adopt this region. By adopting regions like this for 120 euros, you will receive a numbered hardcover edition including the same size print without additional shipping costs and your name will be mentioned in the colophon. Your support makes it possible for us to continue working on The Europeans.

As many of you know by now, Arnold van Bruggen and I have embarked on a new multi-year venture entitled The Europeans. In the coming years we plan to document about twenty heartland regions and in the past few months we have made an incredible amount of new work. Now our first official presentation moment is approaching: The launch of the first regional publication including exhibition on 2 April, of course in the region where the work was created: The Former Capital!

And you can help us. This weekend is the last moment to adopt the first chapter AND get your name mentioned in the special hardcover edition of the upcoming first chapter publication ‘The Former Capital’.

By adopting a region you make it possible for us to pursue this multi-year project, but also you help us to fulfill our ambition to keep the sales price of the trade edition accessible to a broad audience.