To kick off a day of talks as part of Object Book Fair, join Gabi Lardies in conversation with Kayla Lythgoe as they discuss the book as an object. What is a book beyond simply something to be read or looked at? What ideas, ideals and expectations have become attached to the object we know as the book? 

Kayla's masters research ‘Being mean to books in order to find out the meaning of books’ explores her own relationship with the object – by breaking the unspoken rules of interacting with books, and intervening with them in arguably bibliographic-criminal ways.

Kayla and Gabi will discuss Kayla’s research process, what she found out about books along the way, and how these ideas continue to inform her design practice. 

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Kayla Lythgoe is a designer based in Pōneke Wellington. Working with books and other  printed matter, collaborating with photographers and artists on publications and exhibition ephemera. She holds a first class honours degree in visual communication design and a master of design with distinction from Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative, Massey University.

Gabi Lardies is currently the editor at The Big Idea, a national arts website. She has not written a book, but has written for The Spinoff, The Guardian, Pantograph Punch, Metro, New Zealand Geographic, and North & South. Gabi has an MFA, a Graduate Diploma in Sociology, and also designs books.

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This event is taking place as part of Object Book Fair. 11am – 4pm, Saturday 13 June & Sunday 14 June 2026 at Objectspace, 13 Rose Road, Ponsonby, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.