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The article looks at how technology, economics and consumer demand have shaped today's modern brick firing methods. It notes that the first brick was fired 5,000 years ago by the Babylonians in modern-day Iraq using river clay in clamps or scove kilns. The firing methods and raw materials used reportedly changed during the Industrial Revolution which used local clays and adopted wood-burning kilns. It also talks about continuous kilns, tunnel kilns, and intermittent kilns.

A directory for local members of the International Clay Technology Association (ICTa) in Great Britain is presented.

The article discusses the highlights of Ceramitec 2012, the clay event of the year at the Munich Trade Fair Centre on May 22-25, 2012. Delegates discussed energy efficiency and improvements in production at the event which was attended by 16,500 visitors from 102 countries. It cites some of the speakers including Eckhard Rimpel of Brick and Tile Research Institute in Essen, Germany who explained that more precise cutting of vertically perforated clay bricks reduces energy consumption.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of winning the Intitute's Small Local Society of the Year Award by of the International Clay Technology Association (ICTa).