2013 Best Book Design revealed in Shanghai

21 books out of 371 entries have been crowned this year's "most beautiful books" published in China. (People's Daily)

In Shanghai, the ongoing International Book Design Arts Exhibition's major prize, "Best Book Design", has announced its winning list. 21 books out of 371 entries have been crowned this year's "most beautiful books" published in China.

Among the 21 award winners, the "Graduation Collection of the China Academy of Fine Arts 2012" presented works and photos from undergraduates, with a unique folding cover - pull it out and you'll notice the difference.

Another prize winning publication is the pocket journal of renowned painter Liu Xiaodong. The book has collated various photos, sketches and notes from Liu's famous field trip to Xinjiang's Uyghur Autonomous Region in 2012. With a worn-out leather cover and jagged edges, the limited edition release is an accurate replica of the painter's personal handbook.

"Book design is a different kind of expression. It's a visual presentation of the publication, a part of the whole package, so it helps the readers to better understand the author's thoughts in the context, because it's direct," the event's judge Lyu Jingren said.

Over 400 nominated designs from home and abroad are also on display at the Shanghai Library. The exhibition includes a retrospective of all 200 prize-winning books from previous "Best Book Design" events.

So it seems that despite a digital revolution for reading, there's still something universally appealing about the good old paper book.