Felix Bork

jury statement

★★★
Germany /// Deutschland
★★★

This multi-generational book immediately takes you by the hand and draws you in. Both the engaging illustrations and the well-written text have a playfulness to them, which is balanced by the more formally structured indexes and generous chapter dividers. There are also macro images of crystals, while the front of the straight-cut card cover boasts a colourful conglomerate of fabulous crystals.

Readers are plunged into the world of vesuvianite, vermiculite, sodalite, axinite and tetrahedrite. It’s compelling because, for all his irreverence, the author fully embraces the childlike style of illustration yet accurately captures the distinctive features of form and colour. The result, despite the uninhibited style, is visuals that are almost worthy of an Old Master. The writing is equally uninhibited: “Calcite crystallises trigonally and is transparent. Fact. It can, however, take on a shitload of shapes and colours.” An interesting approach to the dissemination of knowledge.

The book’s illustrator and author, Felix Bork, also served as its graphic designer (with support from Büro Bum Bum). With its bold sans-serif typeface, the design references the non-fiction typography of the 1960s. The uncoated paper lends a tactile feel to this sizable tome, the heaviness of which is itself reminiscent of a stone. Oh, ein Stein! is a rare example of a niche subject being presented in a winning way that will appeal to a wide range of readers.