Condiments and entrails

Challenging the ill-founded notion that poetry is high-brow and fusty, John Durak’s latest collection Condiments & Entrails is a gripping read. Equally vivid is the book’s layout, by Bunch Design, which marries a minimal, clean aesthetic with illustrations by Omega The Kid Phoenix.

‘We knew straight away we wanted to use the head – something between Monty Python and the phrenology look,’ says Bunch’s Denis Kovac.

Printed on Rives Classical Natural White 250 g/m2, the book’s embossed cover features illustrations by Omega The Kid Phoenix and a charming peel-off sticker that reveals a hidden message – and leaves the already minimal surface without a title.

Kovac says, ‘We wanted to keep it minimal so it was very legible and didn’t interact too much with the reader’s experience.’

Every four or five poems has been illustrated by Omega, using a restricted palette of pink, pale blue and black.

The consultancy also created a limited-edition B2 print for the launch of the book, available through the consultancy’s site.