The World of the Book

'All earthly existence must ultimately be contained in a book.'

French poet Stéphane Mallarmé understood that books hold the world's stories. From the earliest known myths and legends to postmodern fictions, books are mirrors of real worlds, windows into imagined worlds and keepers of powerful ideas.

Beautifully illustrated, The World of the Book is a celebration of this age-old tradition drawing upon the rare collections of the State Library of Victoria. A journey through time and across the globe, this volume features great books and publishing innovations of the past and present. It also revels in the sheer beauty of books as objects to be desired and treasured.

Within these covers you will discover an illuminated manuscript created for the Medici family of Florence in 1479; masterpieces of early printing, such as Gutenberg's Bible and Aldus Manutius's Hypnerotomachia Poliphili; books recording the scientific discoveries of Copernicus, Galileo and Newton; atlases and illustrated accounts from the great age of travel and exploration; works by the great botanical and natural history artists, such as Redouté, Audubon and Gould; the woodblock books of Japanese artist Hokusai; the lavish productions by William Morris and the Kelmscott Press; literary greats from William Shakespeare to Virginia Woolf; children's books, Beat literature and pulp fiction, graphic novels, artists' books and contemporary graphic design.

The World of the Book pays homage to our love of books, and demonstrates the book's long and rich traditions and its great contributions to modern life.

Des Cowley (Author)
Des Cowley is History of the Book manager at State Library Victoria and has more than twenty years' experience working with the Library's Rare Books Collection.

Clare Williamson (Author)
Clare Williamson is an independent curator and writer based in Melbourne. She was previously the senior exhibitions curator at State Library Victoria.