"Originally written and published collectively in 1976 by the separatist lesbian commune WomanShare, who lived and worked together in Southern Oregon. Containing poems, diaries, manuals, interviews, and hexagonal architecture. I like its directness and the imperfections of the text, illustrations, and pictures. The book published in 2024 is a facsimile, which translates the nature of the original. Following the history of the common effort, it will help finance the publishing of the new collectively translated edition."
Ivana Čobejová is a critical illustrator working across visual culture and social commentary.
Written by Sue Deev.
Published by Ness Books
"Critical Coast is a quiet, generous book about imagination and place. I chose it for three reasons. First, its multidisciplinary approach moves between science, literature, and art, forming a hybrid of essay, atlas, and manifesto. Second, the form: a beautiful object that reflects this multidisciplinary approach and gently guides the reader through a complex theme. Third, its thinking travels easily across disciplines—replace “coast” with any landscape, city, or even yourself, and the ideas still resonate."
Martin Jenča is cofounder of Büro Milk and Brot Books Deli bookshop.
Created by Anna Aslaug Lund and Jeppe Sengupta Carstensen.
Published by Arkitektens Forlag
"Piecing Pages by Line Arngaard brings together research projects by a selection of designers and artists around the subject of working in fragments. Taking traditional women’s craft techniques as a starting point, the book dives into working processes of various female makers. I find both the larger editorial choices as well as the individual contributions really fascinating and think the book can offer a lot of insights for young designers that are in search of their own voice."
Laura Pappa is a graphic designer and educator working between Amsterdam and Tallinn.
Written and self-published by Line Arngaard
"This small book was gifted to me by a young designer who came up to me after a lecture in Málaga. It was ‘Life is not useful’ by Ailton Krenak. In this small volume the indigenous writer and philosopher from the Krenak people manages to explain capitalism, climate change and current state of crisis more clearly and more urgently than any academic volume could achieve. Words that go straight to the heart."
Ruben Pater is a designer who, in search of ethical alternatives, works across design, writing, and education.
Written by Ailton Krenak
Published by Polity Press
"What intrigues me most about typography is the sense of playfulness that can be found within the field, which is why I chose this book. It brings together fragments from different eras, weaving them into a dynamic interplay of glyphs. The question of what is truly new reveals itself as a journey through time. Flipping through playful design approches takes the pressure off during my own design process. That is what I appreciate most about the book. I can take a short break, leaf through its pages, and then return to my work with smiling eyes."
Hannah Sakai is a graphic designer shaped by different cultures and languages, with a focus on typography, design, and spatial experience.
Published by Sorry Press
"This small book was gifted to me by a young designer who came up to me after a lecture in Málaga. It was ‘Life is not useful’ by Ailton Krenak. In this small volume the indigenous writer and philosopher from the Krenak people manages to explain capitalism, climate change and current state of crisis more clearly and more urgently than any academic volume could achieve. Words that go straight to the heart."
Malou Messien is a graphic designer and educator based in Paris.
Written by Ola Vasiljeva
Published by Roma Publications
"The book resonated with me because it approaches publishing not only as a means of distributing content but as a critical design practice and a way of thinking. The editorial structure, production, and graphic design clearly reflect this perspective, showing how publishing can organise knowledge and shape the ways it is read and shared. In particular, the book frames publishing as a method for research, collaboration, and discourse, which strongly resonates with my own practice."
Sam Kim is the founder of Common Imprint, a Berlin-based bookshop focused on Asian publishing.
Conceived by Lim Kyung yong and Helen Jungyeon Ku
Published by mediabus
"It documents a remarkable episode of vernacular lettering in Brussels. In 1996 designer Pierre Huyghebaert noticed distinctive shop window lettering in the city’s northern districts. For nearly fifty years the Crickx family produced fluorescent adhesive letters of their own design and sold them to local shop owners. Created outside any formal typographic tradition, these shapes formed a unique visual language that shaped the appearance of many storefronts in the city. After the shop closed in 2000, designers of OSP archived and digitized the letterforms, later developing typefaces from them. The project culminated in the 2024 publication, documenting the history of this exotic lettering practice."
Yevgeniy Anfalov is a Ukrainian graphic designer focusing on typography and creator of the Kyiv Metro Fonts project.
Conceived by Crickx research group
Published by Surfaces Utiles
"The book is about a young man who suffers from panic attacks. In fact, it's also my story, because it reminds me of myself when I had my first panic attack in a train at the same age. Essentially, while reading it, I'm speaking to the person I was back then."
Marco Fiedler is a graphic designer and co-founder of Vier5, a Paris-based studio focused on developing distinctive visual languages and contemporary typography rooted in a critical approach to design.
Written by Alexander Kielland Krag
Published by Blauw Gras
“This book is deceptive—not only in its oddly appropriated cover and substantial size, but also in its title. A note on the endpaper hints at its concept: two illustrator friends exchanging one drawing a day, with comments, for an entire year. By opening it anywhere, the idea becomes instantly clear. What follows is an honest, effortless visual record of everyday life in all its facets. In an age of instant sensations and endless scrolling, the book reveals what we often overlook. Like Seinfeld, it could be said to be “about nothing”—yet its strength lies in how the authors perceive and playfully reinterpret lived moments. Presented as daily diptychs, the drawings can stand alone or together. Rather than capturing “small histories,” the book reflects a broader, deeply human experience.”
Palo Bálik is a book designer and head of Laboratory of Typography at the Visual Communication Department of Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. He is the author and co-author of scientific publications, founder of the Slovak typographic knowledge base typografia.xyz and the academic publishing house nakladatelstvo.xyz.
Written by Michaela Kukovičová and Magdalena Rutová
Published by Baobab
Sometimes a book matters because it takes you somewhere. Zoo Index, a beautifully designed and independently published book by Terezie Štindlová, quite literally took me on a book launch journey across Europe — including what might have been my last visit to a zoo.
The publication explores our relationship to animals, the politics of captivity, and the role of zoo architecture, among other themes. It’s a book that gently but persistently shifts your perspective — and might make you think twice about visiting a zoo again.
Bára Růžičková is a Czech graphic designer and illustrator whose work combines playful typography with a critical perspective on contemporary visual culture. She studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Brno and gained international experience through internships in Vienna and Porto. Her projects focus on social relevance and long-term impact rather than disposable design.
Self-published by Terezie Štindlová.
“‘I have selected 31 books as Muses’. This is the simple and essential premise of John Morgan’s Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes, written shortly before he died in September 2025. John felt no anxiety about acknowledging the influence of other books on his own work, and writes with a certain pride of how over time, the books we live with ‘seep into our blood, into our bones, into the lenses of our eyes’. And as much as the book presents a cast of particularly cherished titles, Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes exposes not just John’s own working methodology but an arresting portrait of the man himself. ”
Adrien Vasquez (FR/GB) is a graphic and type designer. He worked with John Morgan since 2011. In 2017, they founded Abyme, a digital type foundry and independent publisher of artist’s editions and multiples. Following John Morgan’s death in 2025, he co-founded Lima Vasquez studio with Teresa Lima. He teaches at ÉSAD Valence.
Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes is published by Ten Thousand Angels Press
We came across this work at SPRINT in Milan, where Rahel Zoller and Louis Porter first presented it. Using an edition of The History of Art by E. H. Gombrich, they printed “WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER” across every odd-numbered page, each sold at a price corresponding to its page number. We were lucky to get page 15.
The project reflects ongoing questions around the economics and distribution of publishing, and highlights how much it ultimately depends on community and collective effort.
Astrid Seme is a Vienna-based graphic designer working across typography, editorial design, and visual identity. A graduate of Werkplaats Typografie and the University of Applied Arts Vienna, she also explores typography through sound. Her book Baroness Elsa’s em dashes reflects a research-driven approach to design. She co-runs Mark Pezinger Books with Thomas Geiger.
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER is a project by Zoller & Porter.
“I selected the book ‘Mothering Myths – An ABC of Art, Birth and Care’ edited by Laurie Cluitmans & Heske ten Cate. The book reads as 𝙖 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙪𝙢 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙, 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 – spanning history and cultures. Beside it being a fantastic read, it is 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 by my dear friend Bart de Baets.”
Sandra Kassenaar is a graphic designer and art director based in Amsterdam. Her editorial-focused practice spans print and exhibition design, often in collaboration with creatives across disciplines. Since 2015, she has co-produced the biannual magazine MacGuffin and also teaches graphic design at ArtEZ in Arnhem.
Mothering Myths is published by Valiz
“Žadan describes reality, the gaps in its fabric, and the holes through which you fall into places where things are the same—only different. Even Depeche Mode carries echoes of the nineties, just in another form. The inserted manual Explosive Vaseline promises to help “better understand the principles and tendencies of socio-productive relations in contemporary society.”
No matter how much it tries or pretends, graphic design cannot answer questions or save the world. Good prose just might.”
Jan Čumlivski is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and designer educated in Prague, with additional studies and internships across Europe. His practice spans drawing, typography, engraving, and bookmaking, resulting in distinctive authorial publications. Alongside his artistic work, he teaches graphic design, co-organizes the Tabook festival, and works as an editor.
Depeche Mode is published by Fra
“‘On the Necessity of Gardening’ does not offer a linear reading experience. It is a book I have owned for a long time and always enjoy returning to. It revives the idea of an encyclopedia for adult readers, where text and image naturally intertwine. You can open it anywhere—read individual entries, essays, or simply browse a few pages. It offers insight into the story of the garden as a metaphor for society, with Bart de Baets’ design creating a unique structure that connects form and content.”
Adéla Svobodová is a graphic designer and co-founder of the studio Pauline&Adela, established in 2007 with Pauline Kerleroux. Her practice focuses on the cultural field, particularly book and catalogue design, often in collaboration with contemporary artists. She has received numerous awards, including a gold medal in 2011 for Atlas of Transformation in international book design competitions.
On the Necessity of Gardening is published by Valiz
"This small book was gifted to me by a young designer who came up to me after a lecture in Málaga. It was ‘Life is not useful’ by Ailton Krenak. In this small volume the indigenous writer and philosopher from the Krenak people manages to explain capitalism, climate change and current state of crisis more clearly and more urgently than any academic volume could achieve. Words that go straight to the heart."
Malou Messien is a graphic designer and educator based in Paris.
Written by Ola Vasiljeva
Published by Roma Publications
"The book resonated with me because it approaches publishing not only as a means of distributing content but as a critical design practice and a way of thinking. The editorial structure, production, and graphic design clearly reflect this perspective, showing how publishing can organise knowledge and shape the ways it is read and shared. In particular, the book frames publishing as a method for research, collaboration, and discourse, which strongly resonates with my own practice."
Sam Kim is the founder of Common Imprint, a Berlin-based bookshop focused on Asian publishing.
Conceived by Lim Kyung yong and Helen Jungyeon Ku
Published by mediabus
"It documents a remarkable episode of vernacular lettering in Brussels. In 1996 designer Pierre Huyghebaert noticed distinctive shop window lettering in the city’s northern districts. For nearly fifty years the Crickx family produced fluorescent adhesive letters of their own design and sold them to local shop owners. Created outside any formal typographic tradition, these shapes formed a unique visual language that shaped the appearance of many storefronts in the city. After the shop closed in 2000, designers of OSP archived and digitized the letterforms, later developing typefaces from them. The project culminated in the 2024 publication, documenting the history of this exotic lettering practice."
Yevgeniy Anfalov is a Ukrainian graphic designer focusing on typography and creator of the Kyiv Metro Fonts project.
Conceived by Crickx research group
Published by Surfaces Utiles
"The book is about a young man who suffers from panic attacks. In fact, it's also my story, because it reminds me of myself when I had my first panic attack in a train at the same age. Essentially, while reading it, I'm speaking to the person I was back then."
Marco Fiedler is a graphic designer and co-founder of Vier5, a Paris-based studio focused on developing distinctive visual languages and contemporary typography rooted in a critical approach to design.
Written by Alexander Kielland Krag
Published by Blauw Gras
“This book is deceptive—not only in its oddly appropriated cover and substantial size, but also in its title. A note on the endpaper hints at its concept: two illustrator friends exchanging one drawing a day, with comments, for an entire year. By opening it anywhere, the idea becomes instantly clear. What follows is an honest, effortless visual record of everyday life in all its facets. In an age of instant sensations and endless scrolling, the book reveals what we often overlook. Like Seinfeld, it could be said to be “about nothing”—yet its strength lies in how the authors perceive and playfully reinterpret lived moments. Presented as daily diptychs, the drawings can stand alone or together. Rather than capturing “small histories,” the book reflects a broader, deeply human experience.”
Palo Bálik is a book designer and head of Laboratory of Typography at the Visual Communication Department of Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. He is the author and co-author of scientific publications, founder of the Slovak typographic knowledge base typografia.xyz and the academic publishing house nakladatelstvo.xyz.
Written by Michaela Kukovičová and Magdalena Rutová
Published by Baobab
Sometimes a book matters because it takes you somewhere. Zoo Index, a beautifully designed and independently published book by Terezie Štindlová, quite literally took me on a book launch journey across Europe — including what might have been my last visit to a zoo.
The publication explores our relationship to animals, the politics of captivity, and the role of zoo architecture, among other themes. It’s a book that gently but persistently shifts your perspective — and might make you think twice about visiting a zoo again.
Bára Růžičková is a Czech graphic designer and illustrator whose work combines playful typography with a critical perspective on contemporary visual culture. She studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Brno and gained international experience through internships in Vienna and Porto. Her projects focus on social relevance and long-term impact rather than disposable design.
Self-published by Terezie Štindlová.
“‘I have selected 31 books as Muses’. This is the simple and essential premise of John Morgan’s Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes, written shortly before he died in September 2025. John felt no anxiety about acknowledging the influence of other books on his own work, and writes with a certain pride of how over time, the books we live with ‘seep into our blood, into our bones, into the lenses of our eyes’. And as much as the book presents a cast of particularly cherished titles, Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes exposes not just John’s own working methodology but an arresting portrait of the man himself. ”
Adrien Vasquez (FR/GB) is a graphic and type designer. He worked with John Morgan since 2011. In 2017, they founded Abyme, a digital type foundry and independent publisher of artist’s editions and multiples. Following John Morgan’s death in 2025, he co-founded Lima Vasquez studio with Teresa Lima. He teaches at ÉSAD Valence.
Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes is published by Ten Thousand Angels Press
We came across this work at SPRINT in Milan, where Rahel Zoller and Louis Porter first presented it. Using an edition of The History of Art by E. H. Gombrich, they printed “WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER” across every odd-numbered page, each sold at a price corresponding to its page number. We were lucky to get page 15.
The project reflects ongoing questions around the economics and distribution of publishing, and highlights how much it ultimately depends on community and collective effort.
Astrid Seme is a Vienna-based graphic designer working across typography, editorial design, and visual identity. A graduate of Werkplaats Typografie and the University of Applied Arts Vienna, she also explores typography through sound. Her book Baroness Elsa’s em dashes reflects a research-driven approach to design. She co-runs Mark Pezinger Books with Thomas Geiger.
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER is a project by Zoller & Porter.
“I selected the book ‘Mothering Myths – An ABC of Art, Birth and Care’ edited by Laurie Cluitmans & Heske ten Cate. The book reads as 𝙖 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙪𝙢 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙, 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 – spanning history and cultures. Beside it being a fantastic read, it is 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 by my dear friend Bart de Baets.”
Sandra Kassenaar is a graphic designer and art director based in Amsterdam. Her editorial-focused practice spans print and exhibition design, often in collaboration with creatives across disciplines. Since 2015, she has co-produced the biannual magazine MacGuffin and also teaches graphic design at ArtEZ in Arnhem.
Mothering Myths is published by Valiz
“Žadan describes reality, the gaps in its fabric, and the holes through which you fall into places where things are the same—only different. Even Depeche Mode carries echoes of the nineties, just in another form. The inserted manual Explosive Vaseline promises to help “better understand the principles and tendencies of socio-productive relations in contemporary society.”
No matter how much it tries or pretends, graphic design cannot answer questions or save the world. Good prose just might.”
Jan Čumlivski is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and designer educated in Prague, with additional studies and internships across Europe. His practice spans drawing, typography, engraving, and bookmaking, resulting in distinctive authorial publications. Alongside his artistic work, he teaches graphic design, co-organizes the Tabook festival, and works as an editor.
Depeche Mode is published by Fra
“‘On the Necessity of Gardening’ does not offer a linear reading experience. It is a book I have owned for a long time and always enjoy returning to. It revives the idea of an encyclopedia for adult readers, where text and image naturally intertwine. You can open it anywhere—read individual entries, essays, or simply browse a few pages. It offers insight into the story of the garden as a metaphor for society, with Bart de Baets’ design creating a unique structure that connects form and content.”
Adéla Svobodová is a graphic designer and co-founder of the studio Pauline&Adela, established in 2007 with Pauline Kerleroux. Her practice focuses on the cultural field, particularly book and catalogue design, often in collaboration with contemporary artists. She has received numerous awards, including a gold medal in 2011 for Atlas of Transformation in international book design competitions.
On the Necessity of Gardening is published by Valiz