Upstart Press Award for Best Non-Illustrated Book 2019
Finalist
Designer: Aaron Beehre
Title: Bonsai: Best small stories from Aotearoa New Zealand
Publisher: Canterbury University Press
Format: 215 x 165mm, 296pp, softback.
A bold typographic title splits and folds around the thick spine of this large collection of small fictions. The gold ink set against a Marrs green ground makes a regal introduction to the content within. Set in the warmth of Adobe Caslon on an uncoated stock, the publication is delivered in two sections separated by the rich, large-scale Bondoni Black Italic.
Typography: Body copy: Adobe Caslon 10pt on 14pt leading (a range of weights used including Small Caps). Cover title and section headers: Bodoni Black Italic.
Judges’ comments: “I like the smaller size that suits the “small stories” theme. The paper, text, layout is very clean and elegant. I love the lush matte green.”
“The squat, wide format of the book is inviting – allowing for nice use of white space, and allows the pages to breathe The lockup of title/folio/section on outer edges of spreads is a nice detail. The interplay between the rich gold metallic on the teal means that the books title playfully appears and disappears – although I wonder if the gold foil was meant to pop more, and effect was subdued by the matte cover stock? There’s a tactile slipperiness to the paperstock, the whole package looks and feels silky & elegant.”
“Strong split title lock-up but the bronze and teal tones are indistinct. Well set page details, footers and footnotes. The Paragraphs are quite wide”
“Beautiful paperstock, time spent holding this book and reading the forms of stories will feel well spent. There are several styles of writing and therefore many different calls on the designer. The grid therefore also has to be very versatile. At times it tests the line lengths and leading. But on the whole a well-designed read.”
