Cambridge News: Dwarsligger® KJV + A&B Bibles
Some great news to share from Cambridge.
Cambridge Dwarsligger®
Yesterday, I wrote about the Design and Production Bible produced by 2Krogh and Jongbloed. As you know, the Cambridge text blocks so many of us rave about are printed by Jongbloed in the Netherlands. 2Krogh has done design work for Cambridge, too—in fact, one of the settings showcased in the Design and Production Bible is a Cambridge KJV. One of the things I raved about in the blog post was the Dwarsligger® format, which looks like this:
It turns out Cambridge will be releasing an edition of the KJV in 2011 in the Dwarsligger® format—the first-ever English language Bible to take advantage of the design. I can't wait to see how it turns out! As a marriage of beautiful typography and innovative book design, I think it will prove very popular during the 400th Anniversary year.
A&B Bibles: One-Offs, Seconds, and Collectibles
And here's something else of interest:
That's a Cambridge ESV Wide Margin. The cover is a very nice red synthetic leather. Super limp and very attractive. It took me awhile to convince myself it wasn't the real thing. The bad news is it's a one off. Cambridge occasionally does special runs, samples, that kind of thing, and they often end up as gifts. Mine was very graciously given by Cambridge's Chris Wright, who mentioned that they were thinking of making these one-offs and limited runs available in the future.
One of my recurring fantasies is being recruited to go work for Cambridge, where I'll be given the keys to the vault where all the fantastic treasures are kept. For all I know, Cambridge University Press can only be accessed via a special railway platform, and then only if you have the right sort of wand. (My wife, who generally frowns on the thought of relocating to accept Bible-related work has given me a blanket approval on offers from the UK, for reasons that should be obvious.)
The next best thing would be having a place you could go to source Cambridge seconds, one-offs, and curiosities of every kind. And now there is one. Cambridge is handing over special editions/bindings, out-of-print items, and slight seconds to a local outfit called A&B Bibles, which is making the stock available on the Internet. They have an Amazon UK shop (link) and an eBay shop (link). There's some great stuff, so check out both destinations.
If anybody wants to buy me the Geneva Bible facsimile for Christmas, I promise to put up a plaque in your honor!
The closest thing to my ESV Wide Margin in the current offerings seems to be this red imitation leather KJV Cameo, although mine doesn't have the same pattern.
From what I'm hearing, Cambridge (like so many of the Bible publishers) has exciting things planned for next year. I'm looking forward to seeing what's on the horizon. In the meantime, there are some rare goodies to hunt through!
J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.
Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.
Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.