I aim to elucidate the finer details of Trajan lettering and to base a rigorous study of the edged brush on its astonishing capabilities with this script.

This paragraph from Tom Kemp’s book sums up his intention, and I would have thought that few calligraphers would be able to resist the invitation to join him in this work. Every so often a new calligraphy book is published which stands out from the many volumes produced in the last few years. Such a book is this one, and not just because it covers a subject which is perhaps unfamiliar to many students. The strength of the book lies in its quality of thought, of writing, of presentation and of production. The author takes enormous pains to describe materials and techniques, anticipating every query which an aspiring brush-letterer might ask. No detail is too small to be mentioned. There are clear illustrations, dozens and dozens of them, at every stage, and one is gently and firmly led along the correct path via exercises in brush manipulation eventually to the letters themselves. He begins, for example, with the choice of brush, what to look for, what to avoid, and a description of something I would wager that few of us have ever done: how to test the brush in the art shop before purchase. This involves calling for water and a piece of drawing paper, and of course a flat surface on the counter to work. (For myself, I think that I would need some assertiveness training before attempting this).

After some of the letters have been described and analysed, Mr Kemp uses chapter four as a break from writing Trajan letters and discusses various matters. The chapter is called Concerns of Writing, and in it the author first goes into the thorny subject of space and spacing, intra-letter, inter-letter, inter-word and inter-line. Then he describes a method of writing a large inscription on cloth, which gives the pleasurable sensation of the brush on the poly-cotton as a bonus. Finally in this chapter he discusses calligraphy in general as an activity. Then on with the detailed study of the remaining Trajan letters, the final chapter leading us into variations of brush lettering, which the author hopes will point the student in the direction of new brush-written forms.

It is difficult to imagine that any calligrapher would not enjoy this book and would not learn a great deal from it. Tom Kemp speaks of the sheer seduction of the brush’s action, to which I would add the seductive words and illustrations he uses to describe the lettering process. There are many telling sentences but one in particular struck me: We have the opportunity to recognise (the brush’s) unique potential, not to treat it like a pen but rather to treat the pen like a specialised brush.

This book is full of surprises and will be a source of ideas and a stimulus to thought for a long time. One further surprise awaits those who look at the details of publisher, cover design, and so on, Designed and type-set by the author. Mr Kemp must be proud of this remarkable achievement.