K-Book Trends - How Did the “Best Book Design From All Over the World” Begin?

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How Did the “Best Book Design From All Over the World” Begin?

Books selected in Korea in 2024

2024.05.07

Launched in 1963 by the German Stiftung Buchkunst, the “Best Book Design From All Over the World” is a world-renowned competition that is now co-organized with the Leipziger Buchmesse. Leipziger Buchmesse is the earliest international book fair held every year. Leipzig, the background of Martin Luther’s debates on reformation, has been a center of book printing, publishing, and design since medieval times, as well as being home to numerous publishing houses. The competition is set in this historical context.
In Korea, the Korean Publishers Association has been holding a contest for Korean books, and the selected books have been submitted to the contest in Germany. Consequently, Uhm Yoo-Jung’s collection, FEUILLES (Leaves), published by Media Bus in 2021, won the prize for the first time in Korea, followed by Workroom Press’s Samuel Beckett Anthology in 2023, which won the honorary prize.
And, this year, the contest was expanded to include 4 categories for the “Best Book in Korea” - “Best Book Design in Korea” in the design category, “Best Book for Children in Korea” in the picture book category, “Best Book of Pleasure in Korea” in the comics category, including webtoons and web novels, and “Best Book of Wisdom in Korea” in the academic category. The screening criteria were set by category, considering both originality and relevance, and a total of 40 titles, 10 in each category, were selected. The 40 finalists can be found in the special exhibition at the Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) in 2024 (June 26 - June 30). This article will look at current changes in the form and role of books, as well as the meaning of a “beautiful book,” centered on the “Best Book Design in Korea” in 2024.

FEUILLES (Leaves) and Samuel Beckett Anthology

FEUILLES (Leaves) and Samuel Beckett Anthology

The birth of books in their current form and their changing roles

The form of books that came with the invention of letterpress printing in the time of Gutenberg has remained remarkably unchanged over the centuries. There have been only a few technological advances in printing technology, such as offset printing and digital printing.
Early publication of books flourished mostly around university cities in the Middle Ages, such as Leipzig. The early publishing industry evolved to target universities and researchers, who were the primary consumers of media that organized and recorded academic knowledge. Early books were valued for the information they contained. They were an effective means of preserving civilization, but paradoxically, they were also subject to control. The ruling class didn’t want books to be widely available. In the Middle Ages, only the royal family, the nobility, and the religious classes had access to books. This is exactly described in Umberto Eco’s masterpiece, The Name of the Rose. The book features an old monk in a medieval monastery determined to do whatever it takes - even murder - to prevent the publication of the second book of Aristoteles’ The Poetics.
At the beginning of the book’s existence, the most functional aspect, the value and meaning of the information, was the priority for publication. The publishing industry focused on the effective production and distribution of books. This trend changed as technology and society mass-produced books, leading to a period of competition. Sometimes, books in similar fields or even on the same subject began to be published. This competition has led to the decoration of books in order to be chosen by readers.
The “differentiation,” that is, standing out among similar books, begins with the book’s cover, the most recognizable element, because of limitations in printing and paper-making. At the time, bindings were mostly sewn bindings and hardcovers. The materials for hardcovers were not limited to paper, and the lettering was not limited to black ink. The libraries of wealthy and prestigious families were often filled with these sumptuous books. This tradition continued even after the advent of the adhesive binding and paperbacks. Books without hardcovers - just the texts in sewn bindings - were sold. This was a marketing strategy that encouraged buyers to purchase the book and then customize the hardcover to their taste. As the publishing industry expanded and reading became more common, decorating books has also changed. Books for long-term storage were published in hardcover, while books that did not need to be read and kept for a long time, such as light novels, were published in paperback bindings. Sometimes the same book was published in both hardcover and paperback, letting the reader choose between the two.

What does a “beautiful book” mean?

The “Best Book Design” contest does not prefer or exclusively target hardcovers. Why? It is probably because social norms and readers’ perceptions of what makes a book beautiful have changed. It’s thanks to the emergence of criteria for determining beauty beyond hardcover books.
As the role and genre of books expanded, various attempts were made to communicate with readers through text and paper. The visual appearance of books has changed rapidly due to changes in format, diversification of paper and font, development of illustration and photography, and the involvement of various professions in the production of books. A beautiful book should, therefore, be viewed in the context of changing technologies and times.
Professor Ahn Byung-Hak, head of the judging panel for the “2024 Best Book Design in Korea,” said in his final comments below:

“All the judges of the ‘2024 Best Book Design in Korea’ tried to find the answer in the designer’s approach to beauty. We wanted to look at how the designer’s attitude of wrestling between the existing order and experimentation creates a trigger for events in the encounter with readers, how it makes this vague uncertainty of beauty specific, how it stays in a state of anonymity through naming and re-naming, and how all of this leads us to read beauty in books.”

The beauty of books is evolving from physical properties to intangible values. When a reader encounters a book in a bookstore, it is not easy to conceptually grasp the intentions of the producers. However, even though it cannot be explained in a technical way, readers intuitively sense the tangible and intangible values of the book that distinguish it from other books. I believe that one of the roles of the contest is to further activate such a valuable and meaningful practice. From this perspective, I would like to take a look at some of the winners of the “Best Book Design in Korea.”

2666, published by Open Books, designed by Hahm Ji-Eun

2666, published by The Openbooks Co., designed by Hahm Ji-Eun

This book breaks away from the usual patterns and tendencies that large publishing houses often fall into: parroting past successes. In general, the “SM Taemyungjo” font is not used in the text. And while most books are justified, for some reason, this one is left-aligned. Also new is the silver edge-printing on the sides of the main body of the book, visible when the book is closed. This is a printing technique usually used for religious books and Bibles. The large format, red cover, and silver edge-printing make a strong impression and create anticipation before you even open the book.

Requiem for a Manual Typewriter, published by Deltatime, designed by Oh Hye-Jin

Requiem for a Manual Typewriter, published by Delta time, designed by O Hezin

The book gives off a very simplistic vibe as it is printed in black and white throughout. The original book, published in Germany, is actually a bundle of dozens of manuscripts typed on a manual typewriter. The Korean designer used a relatively inexpensive type of paper and only included the page number on the left side of the page, making it look like a typewritten document.

Closing Ceremony: Hilton Seoul, published by Makermaker, designed by Kwak Min-Ku and Lee Se-Jung

Closing Ceremony: Hilton Seoul, published by Makermaker, designed by Kwak Min-Goo and Lee Se-Jung

The book, which chronicles the 40-year history of Hilton Seoul from 1983 to 2022, seems to have been carefully designed with the hotel’s structure in mind. The design elements that evoke the building’s interior, exterior, and floors hint at this assumption. The illustrations in the book aren’t just repetitions of the text, but help the reader envision the space and its past along with their own imagination.

이후북스 제주점

Goldilocks Zone, published by Foundry Seoul, designed by Kim Sung-Koo

Using Pantone’s neon colors for printing the magenta and yellow colors from CMYK 4-color, which is usually used for publishing books, the book presents a strong impact on the cover. Also, it shows a new balance in texture by combining relatively inexpensive vellum paper with Gmund Colors Matt. It is one of the book’s strengths that its somewhat flashy visual elements, such as the neon colors, blend well with the content.

The books selected for having the “Best Book Design in Korea” will be sent to Germany to compete against other beautiful books from around the world. Although the differences between regions, countries, and cultures have become much lighter thanks to the Internet and the globalized world, there are still clear boundaries between language, text, and history. However, I believe that the tangible and intangible beauty of books that transcend language and text will be clearly conveyed. I hope that these Korean books will do well in the contest.


Winners announcement of the “2024 Best Book in Korea”
Best Book Design in Korea (BBDK)

2666, The Openbooks Co.	Ripley, Eulyoo Publishing	Stranger Than Matter, Sol Studio	Requiem for a Manual Typewriter, Delta time	Closing Ceremony: Hilton Seoul, Makermaker

Piano Étude Corona, Montage Press	A Collection of Queer Korean Cinema, Moving Picture Press	Ashes, Curiousworks	GOLDILOCKS ZONE, Foundry Seoul	K-Artists, The Floorplan & Archive Books
Best Book for Children in Korea (BBCK)

What’s in Your Bag?, Bombom publishing Co.	Moonlight Dance, Kiwi Books	BIG BIG Series, Munhakdongne Publishing	If I Become 100 Years Old, Sakejul Publishing	Going to the Market, Gilbut Children Publishing

Swallows of the Summer, Noran Sangsang Books	The Line of Summer, Hyang	The Duck Only Read a Book, Borim Press	LEAVE IT TO MR. OH!, BIR Publishing	FOLD AND UNFOLD, Yun Edition
Best Book of Pleasure in Korea (BBPK)

The Complete Kkomabi Comics, Ondo Publishing	THE WHITE LADY, Baram Books	Anatomy Cartoons in Peeling and See 2, Hanbit Biz	Mage Again, Jaedam Media	Mi-rae's Curiosity Shop, Dulnyouk Publishing

Dear My Oppressor, Dasan Books	Surindang: A House That Mends Scales, Jaedam Media	The Troublemaker’s Speech Munhakdongne Publishing	One Room TA, GOBOOKY BOOKS	The People of the Golden Apartment, Woorinabi Publishing
Best Book of Wisdom in Korea (BBWK)

How to Poor Children Become Adults: Poverty and Youth, a Record of 10 Years, Dolbegae	The Book of the Flower, JINSUN PUBLISHING	Slaves and Beef: Joseon History in Sungkyunkwan and Banchon, Purunyoksa	The Birth of Tragedy: Art for the Citizens, Common Life Books	The History of the Bible, VIATOR

Book of Sui, Zmanz	What Caused the Century Old Conflict in Palestine?: Beyond Dichotomy, Innsey50	Korean Art: From Opening up to Liberation, Workroom Press	Hangle & Typewriters, Yuksabipyoungsa	Whirling Days: Living with HIV in South Korea, Banbi
* Go to the announcement of the 2024 “Best Book in Korea”