Overview

Union Square & Co (previously Sterling Books) launched its new Signature Clothbound Editions series, a collection of classic literature with a traditional design, in 2024. 

The series presents well-known literary works in a visually distinctive format, offering a balance between timeless content and a fresh design approach. The internals are simple and clear (only Alice in Wonderland is illustrated), mostly focusing on the text without additional adornment. They are smallish format books, good to read while on the go, uniformly sized at 7.74″ tall and 5″ wide. They are a pleasant way to experience the classics, they’re durable, and will look smart on your shelf.

What do they look like?

Each title is bound in a pretty colored cloth with elegant cover designs, and feature decorative stenciled page edges. The back cover shows the full version of the front cover design, revealing parts of the artwork that are partially covered on the front by the title block.

How are they bound?

The books are “hybrid” bound, meaning they have sewn signature blocks, but the sewn blocks are then glued into the spine. They include decorative headbands and a matching coloured ribbon bookmark. The cloth binding is sturdy and bright, with pretty decorative spine design.

What are the Children’s Signature Clothbound Editions?

Union Square also has a similar (slightly shorter and wider) series of children’s line of clothbound editions as well. There is some cross-over of titles, e.g. Alice in Wonderland appears in both collections.

☞ Read more about the children’s collection here.