Belle

Binding success

WHEN THE INTERNET ENGULFED the world in a tidal wave of words in 1991, it was predicted books would go the way of that arcane ocean dweller, the Great White Whale, becoming rare and mysterious talismans of knowledge and beauty, oft-invoked yet rarely sighted. Almost three decades later, unlike Herman Melville’s elusive creation, books are not just surviving, but thriving.

A resurgence of interest in art, food and architecture publications is driving a renaissance on the shelves of high-end bookstores across Australia, distinguished by (Thames & Hudson) to the graphic embossed oversized fish that adorns the cover of chef Josh Niland’s (Hardie Grant) and the hand-drawn illustrations in Peter Gilmore’s large-format (Hardie Grant), the beautiful boutique publications are a direct response to the ubiquity of the internet, appealing to people yearning for a more rarefied and tactile experience.

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