{"id":1844875,"date":"2025-08-22T09:12:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T13:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/?p=1844875"},"modified":"2025-08-22T21:56:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T01:56:34","slug":"the-word-for-world-the-maps-of-ursula-k-le-guin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2025\/08\/the-word-for-world-the-maps-of-ursula-k-le-guin\/","title":{"rendered":"The Word for World: The Maps of Ursula K. Le Guin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Word for World<\/strong><\/em> is both an upcoming exhibition<\/a> and an upcoming book<\/a> exploring the maps of Ursula K. Le Guin\u2014i.e., the maps she herself made for worlds like Earthsea<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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When Ursula K. Le Guin started writing a new story, she would begin by drawing a map. The Word for World<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Guin\u2019s maps offer journeys of consciousness beyond conventional cartography, from the Rorschach-like archipelagos of Earthsea to the talismanic maps of Always Coming Home<\/em>. Rather than remaining within known terrain, they open up paradigms of knowledge, exemplified by the map\u2019s edges and how a map is read, made and re-made, together. The Word for World<\/em> 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. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition<\/a> runs from 10 October to 6 December at the Architectural Association Gallery in London. The book comes out from Spiral House<\/a> in October. Preorder: Amazon<\/a> (Canada<\/a>, UK<\/a>), Bookshop<\/a>. Thanks to Zvi for the tip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously: Limited Edition Earthsea Map Print Now Available<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Word for World is both an upcoming exhibition and an upcoming book exploring the maps of Ursula K. Le Guin\u2014i.e., the maps she herself made for worlds like Earthsea. When Ursula K. Le Guin… More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"link","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:hhxrnk4vub7jtlcl3ve26kjo","date":"2025-08-22T13:12:22+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:hhxrnk4vub7jtlcl3ve26kjo\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lwyjuhgf5e2q","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:hhxrnk4vub7jtlcl3ve26kjo\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lwyjuhgf5e2q\",\"cid\":\"bafyreiaoedrumswd56tiqbzrx2ca2tei7zm5mhc6b7ddpcnmjyevjgxjzi\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreihookvdjop3mckp46rdo3cznbgb26eadrozu3p7ufdkyhgy4wjjaa\",\"rev\":\"3lwyjuhgly42q\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1320,50,31],"class_list":["post-1844875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-link","hentry","category-maps-and-literature","tag-earthsea","tag-exhibitions","tag-fantasy-maps","post_format-post-format-link"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1821675,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2023\/12\/limited-edition-earthsea-map-print-now-available\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844875,"position":0},"title":"Limited Edition Earthsea Map Print Now Available","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"6 December 2023","format":"link","excerpt":"A limited edition print of Ursula K. Le Guin\u2019s map of Earthsea has just been released. \u201cStarting with a high resolution photographic image of Le Guin\u2019s original, the team digitally cleaned or reinforced each line and letter, separating each color in the drawing as a layer, to make the maps\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Maps and Literature"","block_context":{"text":"Maps and Literature","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/maps-and-literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Original map of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/leguin-earthsea-print-1024x800.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/leguin-earthsea-print-1024x800.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/leguin-earthsea-print-1024x800.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/leguin-earthsea-print-1024x800.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1845291,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2025\/12\/more-on-le-guins-maps\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844875,"position":1},"title":"More on Le Guin’s Maps","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"11 December 2025","format":"link","excerpt":"The exhibition of Ursula K. Le Guin\u2019s maps at the Architectural Association Gallery in London (previously, previously) wrapped up last Saturday. The Library of America has an interview with Sarah Shin, who co-curated the exhibit and co-edited the accompanying book (which comes out in North America next month). A sample:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Maps and Literature"","block_context":{"text":"Maps and Literature","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/maps-and-literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1845083,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2025\/10\/more-on-the-exhibition-of-le-guins-maps\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844875,"position":2},"title":"More on the Exhibition of Le Guin’s Maps","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"24 October 2025","format":"link","excerpt":"Mike Duggan takes a look at the exhibition of Ursula K. Le Guin\u2019s maps currently running at the Architectural Association Gallery in London, which displays the maps as cyanotypes on fabric. In the gallery space, Le Guin\u2019s maps are looked at in isolation rather than relating directly to a text.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Maps and Literature"","block_context":{"text":"Maps and Literature","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/maps-and-literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Book cover: The Word for World","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/the-word-for-world-cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/the-word-for-world-cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/the-word-for-world-cover.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/the-word-for-world-cover.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1786954,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2019\/01\/a-tube-map-of-earthsea\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844875,"position":3},"title":"A Tube Map of Earthsea","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"10 January 2019","format":"image","excerpt":"Everything under the sun can be expressed as a Tube map. Including, as blogger Camestros Felapton demonstrates above, Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books. A glance at the original and official maps of Earthsea reveals that world as an intricate, almost overwhelming archipelago: Camestros's map, like all good transit diagrams,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Maps and Literature"","block_context":{"text":"Maps and Literature","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/maps-and-literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Tube Map of Earthsea (Camestros Felapton)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/camestros-earthsea-tube-1024x934.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/camestros-earthsea-tube-1024x934.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/camestros-earthsea-tube-1024x934.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.maproomblog.com\/xq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/camestros-earthsea-tube-1024x934.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1807670,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2022\/06\/some-critical-essays-on-maps-in-speculative-fiction-and-fantasy\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844875,"position":4},"title":"Some Critical Essays on Maps in Speculative Fiction and Fantasy","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"14 June 2022","format":"link","excerpt":"The summer 2018 issue of Modern Language Studies had a \u201cspecial cluster\u201d on maps and speculative fiction (special cluster presumably being what you call it when your special theme doesn\u2019t take up the entire issue). Behind a paywall, but there appear to be articles on planetary cartography and Le Guin,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Games"","block_context":{"text":"Games","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/games\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1789157,"url":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/2020\/08\/apple-maps-updates-in-ireland-japan-and-the-u-k\/","url_meta":{"origin":1844875,"position":5},"title":"Apple Maps Updates in Ireland, Japan and the U.K.","author":"Jonathan Crowe","date":"24 August 2020","format":"link","excerpt":"Justin O\u2019Beirne reports that Apple is now testing its new maps for the United Kingdom and Ireland: the maps are available for a small subset of users. [AppleInsider, MacRumors] Apple\u2019s maps of Japan have also been updated\u2014like the Look Around updates, this was probably originally intended to coincide with the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mobile"","block_context":{"text":"Mobile","link":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/category\/mobile\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1844875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1844875"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1844875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1844886,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1844875\/revisions\/1844886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1844875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1844875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maproomblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1844875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}