Publishing Association Selects 10 Titles for '2021 Most Beautiful Books in Korea'

by Seo Miteum

Published 08 Nov.2021 15:12(KST)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Korea Publishing Culture Association Seoul International Book Fair collaborated with the German Book Art Foundation to hold the ‘Most Beautiful Book in Korea’ contest and selected 10 winning titles this year.

The contest, held until the 14th of last month, received 164 entries across various fields including literature such as novels and poetry, social sciences, essays, picture books, catalogs, photo books, and textbooks. The judging panel, composed of publishing and book design experts (Kim Hyunmi, An Jimi, Lee Sujeong, Jeong Jaewan, Jeong Minyoung, Joo Ilwoo), selected 10 books.

The judges stated, "We made efforts to select books whose content and form have an organic relationship and possess beauty. We were moved by the many designers and publishers who strive to balance dignity and convenience, and who challenge conventional design norms with innovative attempts."

The books selected as a result of the judging are as follows.

Publishing Association Selects 10 Titles for '2021 Most Beautiful Books in Korea'

The selected works will be submitted to the international book design competition ‘The Most Beautiful Books in the World 2022,’ jointly operated by the German Book Art Foundation and the Leipzig Book Fair, and will be featured in special exhibitions at the 2022 Seoul International Book Fair (June) and the 2022 Frankfurt Book Fair (October).

Due to eligibility requirements that only allow participation if a book has won a national design contest or has a recommendation from a national professional institution or organization, Korea had not been able to participate. However, starting in 2021, it was decided to officially submit entries under the auspices of the Korea Publishing Culture Association and the Seoul International Book Fair.