Founded last September and already with its first award in the bag: Felder Books Berlin was named one of the most beautiful German books by the Stiftung Buchkunst for its lovingly and minimalistically designed book "Heb mal ein Bein! But this is just the beginning for the young publisher from Berlin.
Text: Paula Schneewind
Britt Müller and Winnes Rademächers are the founders of the independent publishing house for art, design and children's books, as well as comics and zines. They approach their projects with a combination of interdisciplinarity and minimalism, aiming to get to the heart of topics with the most reduced means possible. With a great passion for publishing and the printing process, the publishing house attaches great importance to producing its books in the most appropriate way. The main motto here is sustainability on the one hand, but above all "finding the simplest possible solution."
We are pleased to present you with a brief overview of the publisher's publications.
The publishing house started with the picture books "Kritzel" and "Heb mal ein Bein". Both books work with a reduced visual language, lots of white space and a seemingly simple story that is, however, full of depth and kindness. The 32-page story of "Kritzel" shows that a line is not just a line, but can do much more. "Kritzel" is moving, shows the beauty in imperfection and encourages you to take up the pen yourself. A heart-warming message in a small space. This edition is also available in English under the title "Doodle".
"Kritzel" / "Doodle"
Available in German and English
32 p. / 16.5 x 23.0 cm / black and white
Hardcover
€ 18.00
ISBN 978-3-946896-60-9
In contrast, the graphic novel "Copy Shop" is somewhat more detailed in its content, but shows the minimalist approach in its visual language. With a very reduced and abstract drawing style, the book tells the story of Julie and Ro, who work in a copy store. Despite the high degree of abstraction, it remains easy to read and shows how working in a copy store can be told in a reduced yet humorous way.
"Copy Shop"
In German
64 p. / 16.5 x 23.0 cm / full color
Softcover
€ 18.00
ISBN 978-3-946896-63-0
In addition to the five books already published, there is also the Felder Books Mini series. These small booklets are dedicated to the themes of art and design in an equally minimalist visual language. One of the current six-part mini series is called "Out of Order" and is a photo series about neglected printers that were found on the sides of streets in Berlin and documented over a period of one year. An uncommented portrayal that raises many questions and makes you smile as well as think.
The other parts of this series also work in a very uncommented and illustrative way and, thanks to their brevity, are very fresh and entertaining.
"Out of Order"
Without text
24 p. / 14.8 x 21.0 cm / full color
Softcover
€ 9.00
ISBN 978-3-949914-03-4
If you are looking for humorous and short picture stories with a lot of heart for yourself or your children, Felder Books Berlin is the right place for you. All publications can currently be ordered directly from the publisher by e-mail or from your local bookshop.
If you enjoyed this article, you can read more about Felder Books Berlin and other children's books in our article about the five most beautiful German children's books.
