Anton Ent – Man van Twee Wegen

Book coverAnton Ent – Man van Twee Wegen
Book coverAnton Ent – Man van Twee Wegen
Book coverAnton Ent – Man van Twee Wegen
Book coverAnton Ent – Man van Twee Wegen

For his collection of verse Man van Twee Wegen Anton Ent has drawn inspiration from the biblical Book of Psalms, a collection of hundred and fifty originally Jewish religious songs. The book is published by the Katholieke Bijbelstichting and printed by RC printers Drukkerij Berne.

The panel were very much taken with Gerrit Noordzij’s typography, which positively radiates strength and irreverence. Surprising, given the subtle literary beauty of the Hebrew source. This is not a case of Silence Please: Poetry! Noordzij has used his still little-used and indeed not even officially launched typeface Sudum (see also Rozenteelt in Nederland, another Best Dutch Book Design of 2007). It has wonderful numerals, used to good effect above each poem.

The book itself is rather stiff as a result of the slightly over-thick text stock. The panel chose to cloak the horrible widow in the five-page epilogue with the mantle of the love of poetry.

The deep red Papvr cover stock from Winter & Company with fine longitudinally stamped grooves is a nice choice; indeed, it renders the laminated dust jacket rather superfluous.

Edition: 2007
Language: Dutch
Publisher: Katholieke Bijbelstichting, 's-Hertogenbosch
Designer: Gerrit Noordzij
Lithographer: Drukkerij Berne, Heeswijk-Dinther
Printer: Drukkerij Berne, Heeswijk-Dinther
Binder: Abbringh, Groningen
Dimensions: 125 x 204 x 18
Amount of pages: 160 p.
Number of copies: 1,500
Price: € 27.50
ISBN: 978 90 6173 939 5
Font and foundry: Sudum
Binding style: sewn hardback
Material: 120gsm Greentop (interior), 115gsm tinted offset (endpapers), Papvr Flute, red 335 (binding), 135gsm BVS (dust jacket)