Books
Since the community’s beginnings, some of the brothers have sought to express in writing the call to which they have responded. Brother Roger published his first booklet in 1941, expressing his vision for the community as he saw it at the time. Since then, the brothers have continued to publish the fruits of their reflections. The community had its own printing press from 1958 to 2010; Les Presses de Taizé continues to publish books written by the brothers, but now the printing is done outside.
Some of these books resemble the biblical introductions given day after day at Taizé: their purpose is to help readers—especially young people—gain a deeper understanding of the message of the Bible and relate it to their own lives. Others offer theological or spiritual reflections related to the vocation of Taizé or the life of prayer. Over the years, brothers have also written poetry, children's books, and translations of spiritual works from the ancient monastic tradition. Les Presses de Taizé also publishes several songbooks, with solo verses in different languages and accompaniments for various instruments.
The layout of the books in French and many of the music books are done by brothers at Taizé; they are sold at the exhibition in Taizé and via the Taizé webshop, and are distributed in bookshops. Most of these books are also translated into other languages; these translations are published by various publishers in the countries concerned.