The holiday season is upon us, bringing with it the joy of giving and sharing thoughtful moments with loved ones. At Design & Paper, we believe that the perfect gift is one that not only delights the recipient but also tells a story. This year, we’re thrilled to kick off our much-anticipated Holiday Gift Guide series with a curated selection of books that promise to inspire, enchant, and ignite the imagination.
A cherished tradition and reader favorite, the Design & Paper Holiday Gift Guide is back! In this first installment, we shine a spotlight on books — that promise to inspire, enchant, and ignite the imagination over this festive season and beyond.
Whether you’re shopping for a voracious reader, an aspiring artist, or someone who simply enjoys the feel of a beautifully designed book in their hands, our guide is brimming with ideas to suit every taste. From timeless classics to the latest design-centric reads, we’ve handpicked titles that celebrate creativity and the printed word in all its glory.
Stay tuned for part two of our Holiday Gift Guide series as we uncover unique gifts that highlight the beauty of paper and craftsmanship. But first, let’s dive into the literary treasures that will make this holiday season unforgettable.
Part One: Books
Neverending Story
To mark Folio’s 75th anniversary, Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story is published as a magical new edition, beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Marie-Alice Harel and bursting with exquisite design details. When ten-year-old Bastian is inexplicably drawn to a mysterious old book, he is transported through its pages to a world beyond his wildest imagination; an enchanted kingdom populated by dragons, unicorns, giants, and sprites. A loner who is tormented by bullies, Bastian becomes the unlikely hero of the story when he joins forces with young warrior Atreyu to save Fantastica from the dark power, The Nothing, and find a cure for its dying Empress. Available in English.
Notes on Happiness
Notes on Happiness reflects on a year of conversations that Alex Farrar shared with his friends, family, and acquaintances about happiness. Prompted by an invitation to respond to the subject whilst artist-in-residence at SEA Foundation, Tilburg; work on the project quickly became entwined with the life of the artist as he and his partner prepared for the birth of their daughter. Against this personal backdrop, Notes on Happiness tracks an understanding of happiness shifting in response to the multitude of ideas, attitudes, and experiences of 21 contributors and the ‘Pope of Happiness’ researcher Ruut Veenhoven. Available in English.
The Mountain Dreamer / Die Bergträumerin
20 stories about spiritual encounters on the path to the summit of the mountain of self-knowledge. Reading, reflecting and tracing the roots of your own self. Breathe in and breathe out – take a moment of silence and connect with Mother Earth and Father Sky so that the energy of both can flow through you. Have you ever tried to love unconditionally? What is currently your heart’s dream in life?
Available in German, English and NEW: Dutch.
NIKE. Form Follows Motion
A perfect gift for sports and sneaker enthusiasts. In autumn 2024, the Vitra Design Museum presented the first museum exhibition about Nike, the world’s best-known sports brand. The exhibition and accompanying catalog mark the milestones in Nike’s fifty-year history and highlight the company’s rise to become a global brand that plays a central role in popular culture. The focus of the exhibition is on Nike’s design practice – from the company’s beginnings in the 1960s and the design of the famous Swoosh logo, to iconic products such as the Air Max and current research looking at future materials and sustainability. Available in English.
Le Voyage Enchante / The Enchanted Journey
Voyage enchanté invites us to consider songs as a means of transport, and to take a closer look at those that speak of travel. Ch. Trenet sings La Nationale 7; F. Sinatra, Fly me to the Moon; Y. Montand, La bicyclette; V. Paradis, Joe le cab; Daft Punk, Around the World; Orelsan, La Terre est ronde; T. Swift, Getaway Car…This book offers a selection of 55 songs that evoke vacation or road trip, car, boat or plane, escape or return home. A collective of authors, many of them geographers, hum them for you, inviting you to visit the imaginary world and emotions they evoke. Available in French.
Not only for children. Animated Film Studio..
Not only for children. Cartoon Film Studio in Bielsko-Biała 19472021 is a monographic publication presenting the history and achievements of the title studio. This is an extensive presentation of several key, closely coexisting threads, primarily: the development of the style of animated films from Bielsko-Biała; development of animation techniques and production base; variability of topics discussed in films; variability of audience reception. Taken as a whole and in the context of changing socio-political realities, the above threads contribute to the most complete presentation of the specificity of the Bielsko-based studio in relation to domestic and foreign animation. Available in Polish.
Backstage Talks Issue #8
What does it take to keep going? How can we make sure our work is sustainable in all senses of the word? How do we know what is enough in a world that demands constant growth? Do we have enough patience for the things that take time? And shouldn’t we just quit? We asked world-class creatives, including Jessica Hische, Pablo Rochat, Wilfrid Wood, DIA Studio, and Emily Keegin, to help us figure it out.
Backstage Talks is a magazine of casual but in-depth dialogues on design and business. Our decisions shape and influence this complex world—to make the right ones, we need to talk.
Available in English.
CORIN CURSCHELLAS - Collecziuns. ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE BOX
This box features unpublished solo pieces and poetry settings from 2022 as well as four works composed for Corin Curschellas with the Vienna Art Orchestra, complete with two soft-bound books with all the song lyrics and around 60 photographs from the artist’s life.
Available in German.
Dead Mountains / Totes Gebirge (Agens Prammer, Johann Schoiswohl)
While at first, it may not seem like the traditional idea of a Christmas gift, in truth, there are many families where Christmas time is the time of year when we miss the ones which are no longer with us the most. Not addressing these feelings can lead to isolation or loneliness, especially while everywhere you look people seem happy and smiling. Therefore, to a friend who does not have the brightest Christmas ahead because of personal loss, this could be just the right gift. Totes Gebirge makes you feel deeply, process emotions and be able to move forward from unexplored grief. Combining two very different, yet in their own way, hauntingly beautiful photographic approaches of Johann Schoiswohl and Agnes Prammer, the compendium revolves around disappearance, slow disappearance, falling into oblivion and about remaining in memory. About a plane which, even though no longer physically is, it remains within us.
Available in English and German.
My Mom Wants to Go Back Home, by Hanna Hrabarska
My Mom Wants to Go Back Home is a documentary diary by photographer Hanna Hrabarska. Together with her mother Iryna, she fled the war in Ukraine, to find a temporary home in the Netherlands. After being showcased in numerous galleries and museums around the world, this quiet and intimate personal story of becoming a war refugee now will reach even a bigger audience in a shape of a photo book. The green colour of the cover is not random, as it is Iryna’s favorite colour. The book is thread bound with green thread, and a memorable detail is how Hanna chose to edit the book so that when you flip through it, the green thread is visible on the book pages where there are no pictures of her mother wearing something green, to balance the colour out.
Available in English.
Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow
This well-produced, iconic looking album of words of wisdom from pop music is the perfect gift for music lovers of all ages. The songs represent all popular music styles from the last fifty years, from rock to folk, and from punk to hip hop. With the best advice quotes from pop songs from Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Madonna, Beastie Boys and many more!
Beautifully calligraphed by Swiss designer Marcus Kraft, these inspiring and motivating typographic lyrics from music artists and bands will put a smile on your face – and maybe a melody into your head. Original gifts for music fans and design lovers. Eco-friendly, fair and custom-made in Europe.
Available in English.
c/o Vienna Magazine - The Animal Issue NO.
A creative gift for all the non-conventional people out there. In this issue, the authors delve into the world of cool, mystical, underrated, and lovable creatures of our planet – whether they have fur, hooves, horns, wings, or scales. Interviews and stories with and about: Internet of Animals, Furry (Sex), Juergen Teller, Nick Cave, The Life of the Old Cat Mausinio, The Fiaker, Anna Jermolaeva, Famous Pigeons, Mike Kelley, The Unicorns, Maria Lassnig, Birgit Jürgenssen and much more.
Available in English and German.
Elsewhere - Olga Karlovac
A perfect gift for photography lovers and those who love every chance for introspection. Elsewhere by Olga Karlovac is a visually stunning photo book that explores themes of isolation, introspection, and human experience through abstract black-and-white street photography. Her evocative images, often blurred and impressionistic, invite viewers to interpret the scenes emotionally rather than literally. Karlovac’s work draws attention to fleeting moments, giving a dreamlike, poetic quality to urban life. This collection is praised for its ability to provoke thought and resonate with the viewer’s own sense of dislocation or belonging.
Nobody Listen
We recommend this book as a present for photography and hip-hop and rap music lovers. In his very first book, photographer Benedikt Renč captures several years in the life of DJ and producer Jakub Strach, known as NobodyListen. Several years of cooperation and friendship have given rise to a unique photo book that provides an intimate insight into the life of one of the most famous DJs not only on the Czech scene. Moments from everyday life alternate with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes photos of unforgettable parties and work on unique projects.
Available in English and Czech.
The garden of earthly delights
The book celebrates the glory of a human body in its long life floating between the earthly and the divine. It offers to view love affairs as a never-ending story, started by the first people, Adam and Eve, and replicated in every single love story ever after. An intimate gift, for all those with a passion for photography, nature and the glory of the human body.
Available in English.
Angelika Loderer - Soil Fictions
A great gift for those who care about the environment. With the installation Soil Fictions, Loderer has accomplished an impressive feat: employing almost exclusively new works to present an analytical perspective of her full oeuvre to date. From the beginning, her art has consistently explored the theme of Earth as a habitat and the threats human actions pose to its ecosystem. A bronze sculpture—as a product of mineral extraction—speaks to this environmental context, as does the decomposition of a photographic print by a mushroom mycelium. In Soil Fictions, humans seem to play an ensemble part alongside many other actors, their presence often defined by their absence.
Available in German language.
Czech self-sustainable house / Český soběstačný dům
The first Czech book printed exclusively from solar energy. After years of effort, this book is in a way the culmination of all the activities of the Czech Self-Sufficient House project. On 336 pages, you will find very voluminous, inspiring interviews with people who are trying to live sustainability in their homes to the core. Each in their own way and yet they have something in common. The book also contains the complete story and technical and construction details of the Czech Self-Sufficient House, which is completely independent of all utilities.
Available only in Czech language.
Svoja
Ema Müller’s book celebrates individuality and encourages, especially women, to not be afraid to be yourself. In svoja, Müller invites us to embrace our uniqueness, to revel in the beauty of our individuality, and to celebrate the journey of self-discovery. With each page turned, “svoja” serves as a reminder that we are all protagonists in our own stories, navigating the twists and turns of life with courage and grace.
Available only in Czech language.
Imperfections – Regina Anzenberger
In 2015, Regina Anzenberger visited India. For many years, she had heard countless stories from people who had come back from a journey there. She was curious how she herself would perceive this country of stark contrasts. The Jungle Book and One Thousand and One Nights, which both take place in India, were inspirations from her childhood. Already on the way from the airport to the city, she was attracted to the state of chaos and improvisation there and began to look for structures and forms. As in previous books, in this book, the artist devotes herself to order and disorder, imperfection and perfection, and traces of human presence and seemingly untouched nature.
Available in English and German.
UNFINISHED Is An Alternative Coloring Book
The UNFINISHED publication was created with the aim of helping young people to maintain their mental health by bringing in acclaimed contemporary artists. The authors asked six artists about their thoughts on balance, growth, success and failure, and how they cope with insecurity, anxiety and negative thoughts. The artists have created unfinished sketches specifically for this purpose, so you’ll not only get a deeper insight into their art, but also have the opportunity to use their drawings as a starting point to unleash your own imagination. The publication was designed to be as creative as possible, so you can complete your drawings with pencil, paint, but you can use the most miscellaneous variety of techniques. So the rest is up to you!
Available in both English and Hungarian
Only draw when you are tired by Lavinia Lanner
The perfect gift for your drawing-obsessed friends! The publication delves into Lavinia Lanner’s world of drawing. It traces the artist’s path from early years until now. Texts and interviews with the artist give a vast insight into the essence of her abstract imagery in 3B pencil on paper, more and more expanding into space. ONLY DRAW WHEN YOU ARE TIRED is meant to be a process-oriented guide through Lanner’s studio life, an invitation to reflect on the very basic means of drawing as well as an unsaid instruction on how to turn everyday life into a set of pencil lines.
Kinder, Kunst und Kulinarik
Rudolf Draheim, an artist from Berlin who has been eating vegan for years, Max Raabe, an internationally renowned singer from Berlin, 43 children from South Tyrol/Italy, Austria and Tunisia with subtle thoughts and poetic texts on pictures by Rudolf Draheim and the values of mindfulness, gratitude, respect, contentment, happiness, friendship, harmony and confidence, Paul Ivić from Vienna, Josef Mühlmann from East Tyrol, Khemais Riabi from Tunisia, Christof Hellweger and Hanspeter Sinner from South Tyrol, five passionate and visionary master chefs, these are the ingredients for a special art cookbook with vegetarian and vegan dishes for the benefit of the Kinderhilfe Potsdam association.
Available in German.
The Montamont A.T.C. Guide Series
A different kind of travel book, for adventure lovers! The Montamont guide series, created by Isabella and Mike from the Innsbruck-based Bureau Rabensteiner takes you on a journey through the most inspiring destinations off-the-beaten paths, and meet beautiful hosts and garner unique experiences, which will help you discover the Alps from a refreshingly contemporary viewpoint which combines tradition with a modern spirit.
Available in English and German.