Bloomsbury launches modern classics series

Bloomsbury is launching a new modern classics series this September featuring titles by Khaled Hosseini, William Boyd and Donna Tartt.

The new series contains a selection of highlights from the publisher's thirty year history curated and led by Alison Hennessey, editorial director of Bloomsbury imprint Raven Books.

The new series is a "reflection of [the company's] heritage brand values", according to Kathleen Farrar, m.d. of group sales and marketing. “As an acquisitive company, we have acquired many imprints and brands over the years", she said. "After eighteen months of review and rationalisation, we’ve focused on our core brand values: literary publishing of excellence and originality. The Bloomsbury Modern Classics couldn’t be a more apposite reflection of our heritage brand values.”

The ten Bloomsbury Modern Classics titles are Restless by William Boyd, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale and The Little Friend by Donna Tartt.

Each of the ten Bloomsbury titles have had iconic scenes from the books commissioned from international illustrators for their new covers. Deputy art director Greg Heinimann, who both commissioned the designs for the Bloomsbury Modern Classics and led the design on the Bloomsbury brand project, said: “‘One thing that came to mind for me was that each title had an inherent cinematic quality. I wanted to approach each cover as a movie poster, and we commissioned an international group of illustrators to focus on a pivotal scene – with brilliant results.”

Bloomsbury will be supporting publication with a major marketing and publicity campaign that includes London Underground advertising, an influencer targeting programme, “eye-catching” digital content, “stunning” point of sale materials to engage bookshops and a focus on reaching out to the design community.

For more information about the series, see The Bookseller's interview with Heinimann about how the new series was created here.