French Editorial Design Lags Behind Netherlands and Germany

Catherine de Smet critiques the average graphic quality of French publishing compared to that of the Netherlands and Germany, citing two concurrent exhibitions in Paris at the Institut Néerlandais and the Institut Goethe. Both shows featured award-winning books from national competitions: the German competition, organized by Stiftung Buchkunst, involves 21 jury members and rigorous multi-stage judging across ten categories, while the Dutch competition, overseen by Stichting De Best Verzorgde Boeken, uses a smaller five-member jury that favors experimental design. The Dutch selection included Erasmus's Colloquies with a bold orange cover. The accompanying catalogs—'The Best Dutch Book Designs 2001' (with contributions from Zimbabwe, India, Nicaragua, Kazakhstan, and the US) and 'Die schönsten deutschen Bücher 2001'—are themselves exemplary publications. Carel Kuitenbrouwer's introduction to the Dutch catalog reflects on book design as a source of visual pleasure. De Smet questions whether France could produce even half as many award-worthy books and calls for a French equivalent: 'À quand le Prix des plus beaux livres français?'