Deep Maps: Blue Humanities by James Louis Smith is an ambitious and experimental born digital monograph that descends into the depths of both the ocean and knowledge itself. Published in collaboration with Copim’s Experimental Publishing Group as part of the Open Book Futures programme, and developed in partnership with UWP and JSTOR Labs, the project pushes the boundaries of what an academic book can be – formally, conceptually and technologically.

Conceived as a digital first, open access monograph, Deep Maps: Blue Humanities is itself a deep map. Structured around the conceit of a journey into the ocean depths, the book unfolds chapter by chapter as a descent, moving from surface waters down into the darkest zones of the sea before rising again to reflect on the implications of deep blue knowledge. Arguments are pinned to specific depths and brought to life through an integrated web of visualizations, media objects, case studies, and stories, creating an immersive and exploratory reading experience impossible in print.

The project is built on Juncture, JSTOR Labs’ Markdown based visual essaying platform, which enables the layering of interconnected texts, audio and visual media into a sustainable and reusable digital form. Innovative styling, book production design, and workflow integrations ensure that the final publication is not only expressive and experimental, but also robust, preservable and scalable.

The product of a three-year funded programme by the Open Book Futures experimental pilot, Deep Maps: Blue Humanities will stand as a landmark example of what open, experimental and digitally native scholarship can achieve. It is at once a monograph, a digital project, and a prototype for the future of academic publishing - charting a course for deeper and more imaginative forms of knowledge.

In the run-up to publication, we’ll be sharing a succession of blog posts involving a dialogue between the creators of Deep Maps: Blue Humanities, which are in themselves a fascinating insight into the development of a truly unique project.