THE WORD FOR WORLD: THE MAPS OF URSULA K. LE GUIN by So Mayer, Sarah Shin
When Ursula K. Le Guin started writing a new story, she would begin by drawing a map. The Word for World presents a selection of these images by the celebrated author, many of which have never been published before, to consider how her imaginary worlds enable us to re-envision our own.
Le Guin’s maps offer journeys of consciousness beyond conventional cartography, from the Rorschach-like archipelagos of Earthsea to the talismanic maps of Always Coming Home. Rather than remaining within known terrain, they open up paradigms of knowledge, exemplified by the map’s edges and how a map is read, made and re-made, together. The Word for World brings her maps together with poems, stories, interviews, recipes and essays by contributors from a variety of perspectives to enquire into the relationship between worlds and how they are represented and imagined.
Contributors: Federico Campagna, Theo Downes-Le Guin, Daniel Heath Justice, Bhanu Kapil, Canisia Lubrin, Una McCormack, David Naimon, Nisha Ramayya, Shoshone Collective, Standard Deviation, Marilyn Strathern.
Co-published by Spiral House and AA Publications to coincide with an exhibition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s maps at the Architectural Association, London, opening on 10 October 2025.
-
Title
The Word for World: The Maps of Ursula K. Le Guin
-
Author / Editor
Ursula K. Le Guin
-
Publisher
Silver Press
-
Pages
176
-
Dimensions
148 x 211 mm
-
Format
Softcover
-
Year
2025
Shipping Terms
Delivery
We aim to process orders within 1–2 working days. Orders placed on a Saturday and Sunday will be processed from the next working day. If you need something in a hurry please call or email us before placing an order to ensure the item is in stock.
UK
All mainland UK orders are sent using Royal Mail, which usually arrives within 1–2 working days after despatch. We use Parcelforce and DHL on heavier or bulkier orders, which can take 2 working days to arrive. Royal Mail Signed For, Parcelforce and DHL all require a signature as proof of delivery. Please note that postage costs for addresses that are not mainland UK may vary.
European Union and Single Market
Please note that due to the introduction of the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) in December 2024, we are no longer able to ship to the EU and Single Market (including Northern Ireland). This does not affect items such as workshop bookings, Studio Passes, or Gift Vouchers.
International
Please note that LCBA cannot be held responsible for any import duties, taxes or delays in processing once your order arrives in-country. It is important that international orders include a contact telephone number and email address at checkout in the instance that the carrier needs to contact you for taxes and/or duties to be paid.
Out of Stock
We make every effort to ensure all products are in stock, but in the event of us not having your chosen product we will contact you and offer either a refund or a split- or later delivery if possible.
Returns
We hope you are happy with your purchases from London Centre for Book Arts, but if not, we can offer a refund on any item as long as it is returned in a saleable condition within 30 days of receiving your item. Please note that we are unable to reimburse postage costs for returns. For further information, or to make a return, write to us atorders@londonbookarts.org.