Best German Book Design for TOC 01

The German foundation Stiftung Buchkunst selected TOC’s first book, “The Cost of Living” by Deborah Levy, to be among the 25 winners of their book design awards 2021. 

The Design: Erik Spiekermann & Susanna Dulkinys

Explanation of the jury of Stiftung Buchkunst: 

“On the dust jacket, two dot patterns are rotated one on top of the other. A third color is evident where the dots overlap, creating spatial depth. [...] This raised tactile feel is achieved through letterpress printing. The large black title band is embossed into the paper, giving it another dimension.

The inside pages were also printed in letterpress using polymer clichés on a historical high-speed cylinder press. An additional spot color in red accentuates the running footer, and the red illustration pages separating the chapters bleed into the trim; they show up as a red line pattern along the book’s edges.

The typography follows the constrains that have been practiced through centuries of discipline and craft.  [...] Paper: off-white to soothe the eyes.

The book is delivered in an anthracite colored slip-lid box made of polished cardboard. It is archived as evidence of the perfection of old printing technology.”

Set in William Text by Maria Doreuli and FF Real by Erik Spiekermann

Illustrations by Erik Spiekermann

The Printing: Daniel Klotz 

Daniel’s diligence and patience helped us achieve this award. A tireless perfectionist , Daniel gets every detail right. If you are looking for someone to talk about paper, ink and printing presses from the ages – he is the one. Thank you Die Lettertypen. 

The Photography: Norman Posselt

The beauty of TOC books are brought to life by the talent and skills of photographer Norman Posselt. His eye for details, and constant strive for perfection, and his sense of humor make our lives and workplace all the better. 

We congratulate all publishing houses of the Stiftung Buchkunst award winners of 2021.