Elemeno burst on the scene early in the sixth century and created an immediate sensation. Teenage girls swooned at the sight of Elemeno on postcards and street signs. When Elemeno broke up, the English language entered a long period of uncertainty and angst. Of course l, m, n and o have had successful solo careers, but their many fans have waited anxiously for any indication of a reconciliation between the four. The appearances of words like “lemon,” “moonlight” and “nomenclature” and a popular children’s song, containing the lyric “Elemeno pea,” have caused speculation that the four might rejoin.

Alex Grecian, a graphic designer and illustrator, managed to get the four in a room together, for the first time in centuries, to talk about letters. The transcript from this lengthy interview has served as the basis for a library of new type, created by Grecian, to celebrate the many forms and uses of language.