Graven Images

The pen and ink illustrations for The Golden Key should be arriving soon from Mr. Van Sandwyk.  High resolution scans will be taken of the artwork and the images will be etched into copper and mounted on wood blocks. These blocks are "type high" and will be locked into the press and the printing will begin. Etched copper plates give exquisite detail and depth to the artwork. It's a slower and more expensive process than digital printing but well worth the result.

I'm nearly done printing the text and have to keep reminding myself to quit stopping and trying to read various meanings into Macdonalds's brilliantly phrased prose images.  There's something very hypnotic about reading a word and line at a time as you set type that makes you appreciate the magic of the writing.  Of course it takes about 8 hours to read and set one page of text so patience is a virtue with this craft.  We will share artwork images as soon as they're available.  Copies will be bound in small quantities and numbered and shipped in the order they're received.  The earlier you order the lower the number (which we collectors covet) copy you receive.  We thank you for your patronage and do hope you will embrace this brilliant fantasy novella as we have.
The Golden Key special preorder price can be found here.

The Ties That Bind

I was thinking of all those who become a part of our books as we make them.  There are the author's estates who are supported by royalties to keep the legacies alive for us.  There are the 500 year old german and french paper mills for the pages.  The natives in Nepal harvesting renewable plants for the beautiful endpapers.  The 1920's formulation of ink from a small company in Illinois.  The parts and materials for the press coming from Fritz singlehandedly maintaining materials for the old equipment.  Cloth and glue from a lady serving the book arts community out of her house.  Copper plates from photoengravers in the town of Owosso.  The tiny local print shop who is kind enough to cut our boards even though it dulls their blades.  An artist dreaming of fairies on a remote isle.

The spirits, passions and dreams of all these people are woven into our books as they take form.  So the next time you open one of our books we invite you to see the patterns of energy that bind it together.  You are part of a much larger community when you dream those dreams written with such grace and printed on the page.

The Golden Key Pre Order Announcement

An illustration from the Blue Fairy Book
by Charles Van Sandwyk

We are very excited to announce that  renowned Vancouver artist Charles Van Sandwyk is working on illustrations for The Golden Key edition by George MacDonald.  One of the great fantasy illustrators of this century, his work on The Blue Fairy Book and The Wind In the Willows is superb and will complement this incredible allegorical fantasy journey.  The book is now available to pre order here.
The Golden Key by George MacDonald.

Charles works on a remote Fiji island and his watercolours and pen and ink are delicate and fantastic.  We expect this edition to sell out quickly and the special pre order price helps us to finish the book while giving you a great discount on the published price.

This is our most ambitious edition to date and I'm really pleased with how it's turning out.I am now printing on the final signature section of the book in a pale blue french laid paper.  More images will be posted as they become available.