Glen Calleja and Sarah Mamo, the team behind Kotba Calleja, both share a deep wonder and appreciation for paper, and all the creative possibilities it brings along with it.

“You need to understand paper before you can understand how to make a book,” Sarah tells me as she places hand-washed paper in purple and gold formed in origami-like shapes on the table in front of me. “Although we make books, we start off by understanding paper,” she says, going on to explain how the paper shapes in front of me could be used as envelopes or for an invitation.

They launched Kotba Kalleja earlier this year at their work space, Studio Solipsis. Located in Rabat, the room is filled with light, stacks of handmade books, rolls of paper and plenty of space - the type of environment any artist would aspire to work in. “Life at the bindery is different to life outside,” smiles Glen. “The atmosphere is monastic and precision is valued over efficiency.“

Indeed, as cars hoot and drive by on a main road a stone's throw away from the studio, time seemingly stands still in the clock-less room, where attention towards the craft is not pressured by the burden of urgency or dominating machinery.

Using small hand tools and minimal equipment for precision, the duo make use of traditional craftsmanship combined with contemporary design principles, resulting in a kind of bookbinding which is somewhat of a rarity to come by nowadays.

“We have a love for stationery,” she says. “The idea of creating a book from scratch is exciting. We can see how we want to decorate it ourselves. We can decorate the paper with designs, printing or washes.”

“However, paper is the most important part of a book and beyond that is the structure,” she continues. “From Kotba Calleja you are going to get the best quality paper that there is on the market. We only use acid-free paper and whenever possible we get paper from sustainable sources. We also give importance to, and explore, different textures and weight, so there is a lot of thought put into the paper and its weight... there is lot of love put into it.

In a little haven valuing quality and craftsmanship over efficiency and mass production, the time it takes to create their products depends on the complexity, folds and structure of each book, what is put between the covers, whether sewing is involved, and how many they are producing.

Even when it comes to the form and structure, Kotba Calleja books often defy convention, playing with types of folds and shapes.

Their products and services include custom books and designer stationery, unique book gifts, artist portfolios, sketchbooks, photo albums and wedding packages, and they occasionally even organise workshops and classes in subjects related to paper crafts and bookbinding.

Keep an eye out for future workshops or follow what they are up to by following Kotba Calleja on Facebook.