A consistent theme among several of 2021's selected books is the book as package, box and archive. There is a need to capture and stitch together broken fragments, to protect the fragile and to shine a light on the unique and fleeting. Perhaps there is a healing dimension in selecting, collecting, filing and packing.
One of the prized entries came wrapped in a yellow handwoven Furoshiki, a piece of cloth traditionally used in place of paper to wrap gifts.
The competition Svensk Bokkonst (Swedish Book Art)
The purpose of Swedish Book Art is to stimulate and inspire quality in the production of books. The books that are awarded are good examples in terms of design, typographic execution, function in relation to production cost, durability, durability as well as environmental friendliness, degree of innovation and communication. Svensk Bokonst highlights examples of good everyday books as well as innovative expressions.
The judgement is based on the following six criteria:
Design
Typographic design
Function in relation to production cost
Durability, wear resistance and environmentally friendly
Innovation
Communication
The winners are announced at an awards gala at the Royal Library in October each year, when the books are also presented in a uniquely designed catalogue.
