Project: Complex Texts
Course: University of Reading (MA Book Design Pathway)
Deliverables: Hand-stitched book interiors
Date: May 2024

The titles in the series
Robert Louis Stevenson: Treasure Island
Leo Tolstoy: War and Peace
William Shakespeare: Henry V
Lewis Carroll: Alice in Wonderland
Laozi: Tao Te Ching
The Gospels

This project explores the typographic design of classic texts aimed at general readers. The chosen texts are all ‘complex’ because, while they are intended for continuous, immersive reading, they support the reader’s understanding through paratextual matter such as introductions, explanatory notes, synopses, translations, and bibliographies. Handling this number of elements with the reader experience as a priority, and developing a workable series style, requires an advanced understanding of book design, craft, and the technologies of typesetting.