Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Unique Award Winning Binding by Scott Kellar

Binding Details:  Neverwhere is a unique fine binding designed and executed by Scott Kellar in 2010. The binding is a laced-on boards style binding covered in full grey Harmatan goatskin with leather onlays, blind tooling, and a black foil die embossed title. There are handsewn red silk endbands, and grey/black marbled paper endsheets with red paint decoration.  The edges are burnished black.  Laid into the book is the tooling tissue Scott Kellar used for the binding. The book is housed in a custom made cloth covered clamshell box with a leather label containing the title and authors name in gilt.

The binding was selected for inclusion in the Society of Bookbinders International Competition in England in 2011 and has been displayed in numerous venues including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Scott Kellar’s binding of Neverwhere was selected as the winner of the Harmatan & Oakridge Award for Forwarding.

A copy of the catalogue for the Society of Bookbinders International Competition will accompany the book along with Scott Kellar’s signed artist statement for “Neverwhere”.

The book measures 9.25” x 6.25” x 1.5”

Book Details:  Neverwhere is Neil Gaiman’s critically acclaimed first novel. Originally published in 1996 by BBC Books, this is the first American edition published by Avon Books in 1997. Considered by many to one of the best urban fantasy novels ever written, the best quote on the book that I encountered was, “If Tim Burton reimagined The Phantom of the Opera, if Jack Finney let his dark side take over, if you rolled the best work of Clive Barker, Peter Straub and Caleb Carr into one, you still would have something that fell far short of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. It is a masterful debut novel of darkly hypnotic power, and one of the most absorbing reads to come along in years.”

Artist Statement: Neverwhere is by far my favorite Neil Gaiman novel. The London underground rail system is host to an entire unseen world of odd and often sinister characters that an ordinary Londoner is suddenly cast into. Richard Mayhew must now dig deeply within himself to find the courage to survive.

About the Artist: A master of traditional fine bookbinding, Scott Kellar has been working intimately with books for over 40 years. Introduced to bookbinding as a hobby in 1972, his commitment to the craft was immediate. While pursuing a career in book conservation, Scott’s love of books expanded into the realm of design binding, where the art of the binder becomes integral to the book, adding yet another layer of imagery and interpretation to the work of the author. As a result, his artistic works have been featured in book art exhibition venues local, national and international. Awards won include the ‘Coup De Coeur’ award at the Biennale Mondiale de la Reliure D’Art, The Society of Bookbinders Award for Forwarding and the Fine Binding J. Hewit & Sons Ltd. Award. His studio in located in Chicago where he also teaches to share both his skills and vision.

Condition Report: The binding and clamshell box are in FINE condition.

Photographs of the binding, the clamshell box, and the catalogues mentioned in the listing appear in the photo section of the listing.