This collection supports and promotes awareness to the important mission and framework of the Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Coalition's focus on the lasting power of the written word and the arts in support of the free expression of ideas, the preservation of shared cultural spaces, and the importance of responding to attacks, both overt and subtle, on artists, writers, and academics working under oppressive regimes or in zones of conflict, despite the destruction of that literary/cultural content.

"Of kith and kin speaks to the musings of daily life, the innocent and random thoughts of those days and weeks that preceded 5 March 2007. Whether an accomplished writer contemplating her next poem, a mindful bookseller sharing the influence of words, or a young man with a secret, these seemingly unrelated thoughts and people were to connect through this life-changing event and tragedy. The flagbook presents a map of the Al-Mutanabbi area, whose pages flex and contract like the influx of sellers, booklovers, writers and students"--The Book Arts at the Centre for Fine Print Research, UK website.

Karen Chew is a San Francisco Bay Area building designer and artist. Her paintings, mixed media work, and book arts have been exhibited and sold through local and domestic galleries and private collections in California, Florida, and Italy. Karen also serves as an Arts Commissioner for San Mateo County, 4th District. You can see more of her work on her Facebook page, Karen Chew Designs and Studio.