Bloemlezen

Author: Jonneke Bekkenkamp
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

A bloemlezing is the Dutch translation of Anthology, but can literally be translated as a flower-reading. This anthology is a selection and observation of the six modern literary classics  La Dame aux Camélias, Mrs Dalloway, Mr Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Quran, Tulip Fever, The Language of Flowers and The Color Purple. The author observes these books in their use and meaning of flowers, and how flowers are used to express the unspoken.

For the design of the cover and typesetting of this book, inspiration was drawn from 1930’s Japanese woodblock prints. Edited to a black background and cropped to show details of these prints, the image effects are elegant, yet playful and bold. The book itself is a perfect square and printed on heavy and natural paper in order to complement the images. The typesetting is an exploration of open space, leaving a light and asymmetrical feel. As per request of the author, each chapter opens with a double black page with a flower symbolic to the title discussed in this chapter, creating six divisions inside the publication. The many citations, central to the text, have been highlighted by giving them separate pages.

Published: Spring 2018
ISBN: 9789462988507