Award for Best Non-Illustrated Book 2026
Finalist
Designer: Alan Deare & Dave McDonald (Area Design)
Title: Kim: A Journey Between Worlds
Publisher: Ugly Hill Press
Format: 234 x 152 mm, 236pp, section sewn with separate ends, flexibound cover with round back and head and tail bands. A cool white uncoated paper stock was combined with a rich charcoal spot colour that runs throughout the text sections of the book along with the in-line images, giving them a subtle sepia tone.
Typography: Body Type: Franziska Pro, 9.6pt/12.5pt
Growing up flashbacks: Xanh Mono, 9.8pt/12.5pt
Correspondence / captions / subheadings: Söhne, various sizes
Feature Type: GT Flexa, various sizes
The driver for the typography is a spartan sensibility, reflecting the hard, minimalist nature of both climbing and the author’s upbringing, combined with a need to visually represent a variety of ‘voices’ interspersed throughout.
Publisher’s Brief:
“The brief was to not make just another mountaineering book, or another misery memoir. It should be more of an adventure book.”
Judges’ Comments:
“Cover typography is well-handled, establishing a confident visual from the onset. The tall, condensed display type cleverly evokes height and ascent, with the stacked, centre-aligned headings mirroring the content topics. The cover is equally commanding; simple and confident, with the oversized, high-contrast Kim creating immediate impact. The variation of type throughout the text enhances the storytelling as it expresses different voices and flashbacks within the story. There is generous spacing throughout which allows each element to breathe, resulting in a publication that feels considered and beautifully designed.”
