‘A lovely little book, a handsome little book, a friendly little book’: that was the gist of the talk round the judging table when Voor We met z’n Allen uit Elkaar Vallen came up for discussion. This New Year’s talk for members of philosophical society Het Zoekend Hert (The Searching Deer) is part of the series from publishing house Luster in which well-known writers tackle an essayistic subject of their own choosing. The series has been running for several years now. Both the format and the treatment by designer Steven Theunis (Armée de Verre) generate ‘a spontaneity that feels good’, was the immediate response. ‘Even if the typography isn’t perfect, it still reads really very agreeably – and it looks fresh.’
The book has been lovingly put together with the clear intention of creating something with a light tread – i.e. suitable as a gift, something ‘charming and without pretension’. That is precisely what makes this publication stand out. But were there no sudden doubts? Certainly there were. The binding is a little inelegantly and unhappily forced, thought one panel member, and that cover: hmm… gold with yellow, Greek motifs, the suggestion of wooden bookshelves – did that really have to be so obvious? ‘It certainly is a little over the top,’ opined another. In the end, however, what emerged was a mild consensus: ‘This is kitsch being used in a way that’s deliberate and right.’