The Shell is an interactive audio/visual book, based on James Stephens' poem The Shell (1909), which can be found in the Linen Hall Library's poetry collection. The piece combines various Book Art techniques with audio, giving the reader an immersive and intimate experience of the poem.

 

While walking on Sandymount Strand in Dublin, Stephens picked up a shell and pressed it to his ear. This poem instantly came to him. Therefore, many of the sonic and visual materials that make up this piece are from a journey made by Isobel to Sandymount Strand, and in doing so, the piece seeks to explore the role of the library in inspiring and reflecting the stories and landscapes of the world outside its walls. 

 

The Shell was exhibited in the Linen Hall Library from the 23-28 August 2010.