About
“Our work is guided by the same impulse that shaped the revival of fine bookmaking: a belief in books made with care, intention, and respect for the craft.”
Suntup Editions is an independent publisher of carefully crafted limited edition books. We seek to continue the great tradition of fine bookmaking revived by William Morris and other celebrated pioneers of the fine press movement in the late nineteenth century.
Dissatisfied with the abundance of poorly made, mass-produced books of his time, Morris ushered in a renaissance in book design and devoted his remaining years to restoring the beauty and integrity of the well-made book. It is these ideals that continue to inspire and guide the editions we make.
We collaborate with artists, typographers, printers, hand bookbinders, and a host of talented craftspeople in the production of our editions, including work undertaken in our own bindery.
The great private presses which grew out of the English Arts and Crafts Movement sought to bring back the beauty inherent in medieval manuscripts and early printed books. Their focus was on restoring aesthetic integrity to bookmaking through careful attention to type, margin proportions, word and line spacing, and the use of high-quality paper and ink.
Guided by these principles, we focus on readability and the reading experience, we print only on premium archival papers, we use the finest bookmaking materials and employ both modern bookbinding styles as well as traditional techniques which have not changed for centuries; all under the guiding light of exceptional design and production by acknowledged masters of their craft.
Ultimately, our work is guided by the same impulse that shaped the revival of fine bookmaking: a belief in books made with care, intention, and respect for the craft.
I often consider what it is that draws us toward books. It feels like something ancient. Passed down through the centuries. For some, it’s about more than just the words between the covers, or the places we are taken to when we read them; the wonderful escape. It’s also about a deep appreciation for the making of it, and the beauty in the object. The ultimate art of it.
This is expressed in the way the text is designed and how it is printed, the paper on which it is printed, the materials and craftsmanship of the whole.
Much can be said about the effect a fine edition can have on those who are drawn to them. We don’t necessarily have to understand why, only to appreciate the feel of the paper, the beauty of the typography, the elegance of the binding, and the materials used in its execution. To be grateful for it, and the effect it has on us.
For me, I was drawn to fine editions. From the first time I picked one up, I knew that I wanted to make books like that. There was a connection to this object which I could not explain or describe.
When I started Suntup Editions in 2016, I was inspired by the collective energy for fine bookmaking which was revitalized more than a century before my publishing adventure. When I decided to follow my dream of publishing beautifully crafted editions of novels which have touched our lives, I never anticipated the enthusiastic community of bibliophiles which has developed around the editions we publish.
Through this journey, I have discovered a purpose which goes beyond simply making books. What drives me on, day after day, is the fulfillment I feel when I see how much pleasure and excitement our editions bring to our customers, and for this, I am grateful.
Paul Suntup