The Complete Lexicon of Crisis Related Suicides

The Complete Lexicon of Crisis Related Suicides – 2008-2013/Volume 1′ is a very impressive and confrontational history book on the painful impact of the economic crisis that overwhelmed the world since 2008, published by the small Dutch publishing house Uitgeverij Komma earlier this month. The book sketches an image of the current economical period and its specific victims through the eyes of graphic designer Richard Sluijs, who at the start of the crisis was a relative outsider in a country that seemed to be off the hook; The Netherlands. Sluijs, who’s been working as a graphic designer in The Hague from his studio Richlab for the last 14 years, depicts the personal suffering in a monumental, somewhat dark, but above all elegant way. The result is an unique collection of stories from people who could no longer endure their misery, and saw suicide as their only way out, given one last voice before they fade for good.

The idea for the book was sparked in Sluijs’s mind when he first saw the protest sign on wall street in the autumn of 2008 saying ‚Jump! You Fuckers!’. Triggered by its seriousness, only 7 years after the disaster at the WTC not too far away from Wall Street, the Dutch designer wondered what the consequences would be of the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers investment bank, which had just occurred. Although the sign referred to the suicides of numerous stockbrokers, bankers and investors after the stock market crash of 1929, nobody beside the real insiders could predict what would happen in the years to come and could forecast the intrinsic consequences laying ahead.

As a result of what happened and through continued research by Sluijs, his book became an ‘In Memoriam’ for the progressively growing group of victims of the crisis, but also a critical counterweight to all the stories of politicians, bankers and economists on how the strict austerity policies are now beginning to pay off and soon everything will be back to normal. For life will never be the same for the many families who lost their loved ones, as the author unfortunately experienced up close and personal when the book was ready after six years of research.

Uitgeverij Komma specializes in photography-, fine art- and cookbooks. Through the vision of founder Steven Hond the publisher has quality, passion and experience as the main pillars for everything they release. Hond has had a career in publishing for already more than 30 years: from the ownership of a Dutch printing house specialized in art books (Flevodruk Harderwijk), being the founder and publisher of PS Items and Publisher Uitgeverij d’jonge Hond, to his function as the creative director of publisher Uitgeverij Waanders.

For more information and to buy the impressive book see here.