Designer Bookbinders is one of the foremost bookbinding societies and its International Bookbinding Competition in association with Mark Getty and the Bodleian Library continues to attract top binders from around the world. For 2017, the theme of the competition was myths, heroes, and legends. Throughout the ages, every culture has created myths and legends that recount the great deeds of its heroes. This year’s entries reflect a remarkable range of styles, materials, and approaches to great classics of world literature, as well as modern texts.

Heroic Works collects the full 184 entries from the 2017 competition, highlighting the twenty-eight winning bindings and offering a veritable showcase for the creativity and craftsmanship of the international bookbinding community. As beautifully designed as many of the bindings it displays, this showcase of the best in modern bookbinding will become a collector’s item among aficionados of bookbinding—as well as a handsome addition to any personal library.