Designs on Kafka

Book covers of the week are a series of new Kafka designs by Peter Mendelsund for Schocken, a set comprising eight paperbacks which will be out this summer in the US. What's notable about these designs aside from their minimal style is the way they dispense with the visual clichés which have accumulated around Kafka's work. So no sombre author photos, ominous shadows or views of Prague, just bold colours and simple shapes to create a beautiful collection. The script typeface is Mister K by Julia Sysmäläinen, a design based on Kafka's handwriting. Peter Mendelsund has the rest of the covers and some words about their design on his blog. Via Coudal.

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }

• The book covers archive

Previously on { feuilleton }

• Kafka's porn unveiled

• A postcard from Doctor Kafka

• Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker

• Hugo Steiner-Prag's Golem

• Steven Soderbergh's Kafka

• Kafka and Kupka