The Most Beautiful Books Of Romania – Book Project

Although it is said that Z generation doesn’t read anymore, I can see how more and more book projects are born, at least in Romania.

I have mentioned before Bookster, a book project for corporations, The international book day, a worldwide initiative that found place among the Romanian readers and the Gaudeamus book fare that reunites publishing houses with their readers. 

Today I want to tell you about some other type of initiative. It is called The most beautiful books of Romania and it is the only national cultural book design project. It was initiated by The Culture and Performance Association and organized by Possible Galery and Grapho_Mat. The project was initially organized as a debate platform for the book design destined for editorial professionals but also for independent designers and graphic designers .

The contestants are only persons who live in Romania or Moldavia or who are a citizen of one of the above. The event is open to everybody that fulfills the above conditions and has at least eighteen years old, plus the books publishing conditions. 

The contest reached it’s 7th edition, after the initial launching in 2012. This year, 150 contestants applied to the contest from which  33 reached the final. Thirteen only will be the winners that will get the prize during the festivity on the 3rd of December. 

Among the criteria that were taken in count for the evaluation was the book design, the typographycal micro and macro design, the page mirroring, the report between the design of the cover, subcover and the interior, the quality of the cover etc. 

This year’s edition will also be launched the first volume of the “Sheets” magazine.

At first I didn’t knew what this contest is all about. I though it was about the content, not about the design. I find this initiative pretty awsome, especially as many times we choose a book based on it’s cover weather we like it or not. Indeed there are the famous authors whose books we buy based on our previous experience. But when we read another author that we don’t know, the aspect is what matters. So this competition stimulates somehow the aspect development. It blends the visual art with the text art, provoking contestants to overcome their limits and reach beyond, to give their best in satisfying the reader. 

I am glad that reading has started to have more and more adepts as time passes. In a digital era in which almost everything resumes to technology, we all try to find refuge in something that takes our minds from it. As much as we enjoy digitalisation, we sometimes need a rest. We need to escape into a world in which we can be ourselves, escape the rush for fame, likes, shares and mesages on linkedin. And when an oportunity like this appears, we cannot but take advantage of it and enter a new world, one based on quiet times with a good book, the only real friend we have. 

 © picnicontheshelf, December 2, 2018