I Was on the Happy Islands: Publication

A memoir by Magdalena Cegiełka-Kozak. 9.5" x 6.5" perfect bound book | 300+ pages | 178 full-colour images Typeset in Polish Packaged files for professional print production I designed the layout of a personal memoir documenting my mother’s experience of a years-long global voyage on a hand-crafted sailboat. Spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, the book captures a deeply personal narrative of adventure. My approach centered on maintaining the prosaic and reflective tone of the writing while integrating real photographs from the journey. By allowing the images to support the story, rather than overwhelming its literary voice, the reader is gently guided through the author’s lived experience. In addition to designing the layout of the text, an exhaustive process was taken in organizing original documentation, photographs, letters, and ship logs to provide a comprehensive account of the author’s lived experience. I then collaborated with high-volume printers to select paper type, cover stock, and prepare digital files for print. The book was then featured in an author’s talk and signing in October 2025 in Warsaw, Poland.