A modern take on Dante's masterpiece: Hand-lettered, beautifully illustrated, printed letterpress, and hand-bound.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
ANNOUNCING: Pride and Prejudice
over 7 years ago
– Mon, Sep 10, 2018 at 11:20:56 AM
Dear Friends,
I'm honored by your feedback so far! A few of you have even called Inferno "the best Thornwillow book yet" which I'm thrilled to hear. Thank you, again, for making it possible.
Inferno was an opportunity to publish an edition years in the making. Today, I'm announcing an edition which I've wanted to do since founding the Press in 1985 — Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
With this edition, we’re using the exquisite craftsmanship, techniques, and aesthetic style of the Georgian period to create an edition that would have fit perfectly on Austen’s own bookshelf.
To pay true homage to this timeless novel, we’re adding some special additions. As well as historically accurate green bindings, you can expect boards that replicate the wallpaper in Austen’s own home. But there’s more! Every significant letter exchanged by the characters in the novel, as well as drawings from “Elizabeth Bennet’s sketchbook” will be reproduced and bound into the book.
I'm honored to be able to add this title to our series of crowdfunded editions — continuing a tradition which dates back to Dante himself. Thank you for making this possible!
Best wishes, and highest regards from the Press,
Luke
Half-Leathers
over 7 years ago
– Mon, Aug 27, 2018 at 12:55:28 PM
Friends,
As many of you have seen, shipping is fully underway! We thought we'd share a few photos of the gorgeous half-leathers to hold you over. Remember, there are only 66 half-leathers in this edition, which makes them one of the rarest Thornwillow books around.
About eight percent of the world-supply of INFERNO half-leathers, all on one table!
Isn't it magnificent?
Our clamshell boxes are a Thornwillow Press trademark. They've been included with all leather books since the Press' first in 1985.
When we ship, it's important to keep the books in tissue for some extra pizzaz when they're opened.
Best wishes, everybody! Stay tuned for more photos from the Press as we ship the remainder of the edition.
-TWP
The Bindery + Shipping
over 7 years ago
– Fri, Aug 03, 2018 at 01:00:33 AM
Friends,
We are very pleased to announce that work in the bindery is fully underway! Copy-by-copy, the edition is being hand-bound. As one team folds, collates, and sews the book blocks, another has been preparing the book covers. Then, we bring the two together, and voila! we bind the book. This isn't the final step — after binding, the books must be pressed, signed, numbered, and packaged — but it's close!
Because of the MONUMENTAL support for this edition, it's been a much more intensive production process than usual. Still, we're making great progress. We estimate that shipping will begin in the next two weeks and will continue through to the end of August. When your book has shipped, you will receive an email with a tracking code from our shipping department.
As production and shipping goes into overdrive, we'll keep you appraised with updates! As always, you have our best wishes,
PS Here are some photos from TWP this last week.
The first step of the binding process is to prepare the corners of the boards. Here, a stack of boards (specifically 100 boards!) has been prepared for the cloth copies.
The second step is to prepare the board papers.
INFERNO is the first TWP edition in the past few years to use letterpress printing on paste paper for the half-leather boards. Here, pastepaper has been prepared by our artisans using a striae technique. Then, our printers use our Vandercook printing machine (the same one which the first TWP book was printed on in 1985) to print letterpress the cover pattern. The effect is marvelous.
After days of making cover papers, a stack is ready in the bindery to be pasted to the boards.
In the meantime, George is in the studio downstairs, hand-coloring.
Hand-coloring and letterpress printing is a match made in heaven.
Printing is almost done!
over 7 years ago
– Wed, Jul 11, 2018 at 08:05:06 PM
Friends,
We're excited to announce that we're currently three-quarters of the way through the printing process for Inferno. After printing, the pages will move to the bindery, where we will collate and fold, sew and bind. All of this means we're right on track for delivery as promised.
In the meantime, we want to share these photos from the factory—Enjoy!
This plate is ready for the next print run.
Printed pages coming off the press.
Checking a page as it comes off the press.
George Cochrane's hand-lettering is printing beautifully!
Pages ready for backing up—side one is complete and ready for printing of the other side.
Surveys Lock
almost 8 years ago
– Sun, Apr 22, 2018 at 06:02:38 PM
Friends,
We have two important updates for you.
1. Surveys
THANK YOU for filling out your surveys. This Wednesday we are locking them down so we can start the numbering process. After this, changes cannot be made to them.
If you need to change your survey, please do so now!
More urgently, if you haven't filled out your survey, please do so now! If you need any assistance with the survey, don't hesitate to reach out.
2. Waste Land
We are excited that our edition of T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land has been so well-received! Dante revolutionized the Italian language; some think that none since Shakespeare have had such an influence as Eliot on English. We hope you will celebrate his masterpiece with us, in this edition which returns the poem to its roots.
