Illustrators celebrate the joy of books: 10 art prints from “A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader”

Bibliophilic delight from Sophie Blackall, Shaun Tan, Olivier Tallec, and other beloved artists, benefiting public libraries.

by Maria Popova

Illustrators Celebrate the Joy of Books: 10 Art Prints from “A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader”

After eight years of labor, it has been astonishing and heartening to witness the enthusiasm with which A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader — our anthology of illustrated letters to children about why we read from 121 of the most inspiring humans of our time — has been welcomed into the world. To honor that enthusiasm, ten artists from the book have kindly granted us permission to turn their illustrations into art prints, with all proceeds — like those from the book itself — benefitting the New York public library system. I like to think of them as the diverse contemporary counterpart of Maurice Sendak’s lovely vintage posters celebrating books, libraries, and the love of reading, which were a mighty inspiration for our project.

Viva books — please enjoy:

Art by Ofra Amit for a letter by Mara Faye Lethem from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Art by Olivier Tallec for a letter by Diane Ackerman from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Art by Violeta Lópiz for a letter by Lucianne Walkowicz from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Art by Shaun Tan for a letter by Tom De Blasis from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Art by Mouni Feddag for a letter by Alain de Botton from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Art by Cindy Derby for a letter by Rose Styron from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Art by Lia Halloran for a letter by Marina Abramović from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Art by Catarina Sobral for a letter by Andrew Solomon from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Art by Daniel Salmieri for a letter by David Byrne from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Art by Sophie Blackall for a letter by Neil Gaiman from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.
Cover art by Ping Zhu for A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young ReaderGet the print.

See more of this monumental labor of love, including a glimpse of the other 111 illustrations, here. You can claim your copy of this timeless, seasonless book from Enchanted Lion now, or pre-order it from Powell’sAmazon, or an independent bookstore of your choice.

Via