On its 80th anniversary, Penguin Books has launched Little Black Classics, a series of 80 titles priced at just 80p. The diminutive books include fiction and nonfiction works drawn from Penguin’s Classics list. The covers all sport a striking typographic black and white design. There’s also a new website and poster campaign for the series.
Bestselling author, avid biker, and all around coffee geek Chris Ward created this terrific tube-centric coffee map of London for the caffeine deficient. You can even order your own copy here.
Buenos Aires artist Raul Lemesoff is celebrating World Book Day today with his latest rolling “weapon of mass instruction”. This version of his militant bookmobile is built on the chassis of an old Ford Falcon and is traveling around Argentina distributing books for free.
Responding to the social, cultural, political, and emotional impact of the ongoing European financial crisis, the Greek artist known only as Stefanos has created a thoughtful project called Euro Banknote Bombing. His ink drawings of tiny human figures reflect the real world problems of the economic debacle in Greece: suicides, riots, robberies, arson, murder, vandalism, and police abuse.
The other day, I stopped by a local Chipotle restaurant for my favorite fast food tofu burrito. I was happy to find that they had a full set of the Mexican food chain’s new Cultivating Thought packaging. The second installment of the series once again offers original art work and “two-minute” stories and essays. Designed to entertain eaters while exposing them to thought provoking writing, the new set has contributions by Neil Gaiman, Amy Tan, Julia Alverez, Carlos Ruiz Zafrón, Barbara Kingsolver, Augsten Burroughs, Paulo Coelho, Jeffrey Eugenides, Walter Isaacson, and comic Aziz Ansari.
Over at the Design Observer, librarian/curator/writer Timothy Young offers a damn good list of ten reasons why the printed book still matters. Here’s a stripped down version (see below) of the list. If you’re inclined, check out the fully unexpurgated version of the well developed reasons right about here.
New York City-based illustrator Evan Robertson creates splendid black and white posters featuring moving quotes from notable authors such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Samuel Beckett, Anais Nin, Thomas Wolfe, Jules Verne and Kurt Vonnegut. You can see more of these terrific pieces and even buy your own copies right here.
The public art project London is Changing has been exposing some uncomfortable truths about Britain’s great city. While we visitors and tourists wander about enjoying our time in London, residents are trying to cope with a city that has become increasingly unaffordable for locals, especially young people and creative.
Created by Rebecca Ross and Duarte Carrilho de Graça, the project collects personal views on the ever morphing city at a website and shares the messages on digital billboards in Holborn and Aldgate. Most of the quotes are downright depressing, but some still celebrate London’s magic. You see them all at the website London is Changing.
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