Tosca

Tosca is a novel hidden within a poetry collection, masquerading as a blank book. The concept refers to both the characters in the novel as well as the poems to be “revealed”. The reader has a once-only choice of reading only the poems but is also supposed to unravel the novel hidden within. To do so, they have to cut open the closed pages. The typography, paper chosen and techniques used fit seamlessly with the story told in the book.

The jury on Tosca:

This book, which requires you to tear open the pages, serves a clear purpose; it is not a gimmick. It combines poetry with a novel, creating a kind of dual-layered effect. The poetry encourages one to read the novel, but this requires an ‘act of tearing’. Cutting open the pages is part of the reading ritual. The apparent simplicity of the design is deceptive. There are no eye-catchers here; instead, everything is in relation to each other: the paper, the binding, the typography and the subtle embossing. All of this testifies to the extremely passionate and honest approach taken by the designer and the author. It is also brave to dare publish a ‘silent book’ in times of an unbridled and attention-seeking visual culture. Tip: buy two right away, one to use and one to keep intact.

What does this award mean to you?

It offers recognition for the work I have created, which has been independently reviewed. This presents an additional seal of quality for the outside world.

How did the idea for this project come about?

The idea for the physical form arose from the desire to also visually express the underlying feelings of the main character. As the text on the back cover of the book says: “She is a closed book, no one can understand her better than me.” We wanted to create a book that initially feels blank, with the reader slowly revealing and discovering the story page by page.

What makes your project so special?

This project is special to me because it represents a unique cross-pollination between two disciplines that reinforce each other. For me, in design, it is essential that ideas and insights from other fields should challenge you to step outside your comfort zone. By combining different disciplines, you may not always end up with completely new forms, but you do end up with an end result that creates a stronger unity between content and form.