Award ceremony in a «harmonious and dynamic dress»

On June 3rd, 2024, the most beautiful books of Austria 2023 were chosen. An expert jury with five representatives from publishing, the book trade, design and printing selected 15 winning titles from 183 submissions in 2023.

Scheidegger & Spiess is also represented among the 15 winning titles with the book Igniting Penguins. A Manifesto for Painting by author Rachel Lumsden. We would like to congratulate everyone involved on this outstanding achievement and are delighted!

If you would like to find out more about the book and Rachel Lumsden, you can do so here: In our article, 7,5 Questions for Rachel Lumsden, the author and painter answers what we always wanted to know about her and talks about painting, the art world and, of course, her book.

"A great temptation for designers is to use design and production parameters to simulate the complexity and substance of the book. However, the glossy cover material is quickly exposed as “superficial” and the colored edges as bitter-sweet “candy”. The bold color gradients and hot-foil embossing ultimately do their bit to repel the reader from the content altogether, but the opposite is the case with Igniting Penguins. A Manifesto for Painting. The designer has managed to give the calm, well-placed text a contemporary, intelligent, harmonious and dynamic look through her precise choice of format and materials and the production methods used. And so the book does not pander to its peers or disturb with unnecessary design clutter, but stands out and - in keeping with the first word of the blurb - acts as an invitation to explore the entertaining content."