This year we are celebrating Paperblanks’ 25th anniversary, but our journey began long before that first journal collection in 1992.
Our story begins with the 1972 founding of Cloudburst Press in an old log cabin in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada. Since those humble beginnings of publishing books on esoteric topics such as country living and alternative health, we have grown to become Hartley & Marks Publishers, the makers of not only Paperblanks journals, but Paper-Oh notebooks, Alusi candles and eXchange tablet cases, too. At the heart of all of this, though, we are still book people. We began out of a love of book culture and publishing, and that passion continues to drive us today.
So what better way to back up that belief than by celebrating the works of diverse writers on our journal covers? From our first releases in 1992 right up until this year – our 25th – we’ve reproduced works by not only internationally renowned authors but lesser known scribes whose works have a special place in our hearts.
From Geoffrey Chaucer to Virginia Woolf, these are 25 authors we’ve proudly represented on our journals over the years.
Dante, Divine Comedy
Did you know we once released spiral bound covers? Our Dante, Divine Comedy cover was an Illuminated Manuscript design with that type of binding. We also offered it with the classic black spine.
Chaucer, Canterbury Tales
Another Illuminated Manuscript – our Chaucer, Canterbury Tales design – also had a spiral bound cover. It too was offered with the classic black spine.
Faulkner, Barn Burning
The back cover of our William Faulkner Barn Burning journal shows what some of our original labels looked like.
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own
This monumental feminist piece of writing is a part of our current Embellished Manuscripts Collection.
Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes
This cover celebrates not only a talented writer, but his hugely influential main character, as well.
Yeats, Easter 1916
This important piece of Irish writing is highlighted by a vibrant green background.
George Eliot, Middlemarch
From our original Writers Series, which would evolve into the Embellished Manuscripts Collection.
Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles
From our original Writers Series, which would evolve into the Embellished Manuscripts Collection.
Shakespeare, Sir Thomas More
As you can see, we've been inspired by Shakespeare a lot over the years! Here are just three of the covers we've released featuring this manuscript.
Goethe, Italian Journey
Goethe is a popular writer in our collection, as we also offered a Schiller cover featuring a letter to Goethe, and our Schubert design features a musical adaptation of one of Goethe's poems.
Byron, Don Juan
Our Lord Byron cover featured an excerpt from his most famous work.
Kipling, Song of Songs
Best known for his writing for children, Rudyard Kipling also had a lot to say about the politics of his day!
Keats, To Autumn
A classic work by the famed poet.
Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
As you can probably imagine, it was hard choosing just one Oscar Wilde title to reproduce!
Balzac, Eugenie Grandet
Balzac's endless revisions are highlighted on this manuscript.
Dickens, Our Mutual Friend
This cover reproduces the manuscript of Dickens' last completed novel, a work now regarded as one of his most sophisticated.
Bronte, Jane Eyre Classic
This Paperblanks Classic cover is a rare Embellished Manuscript without a flap – all the better to appreciate even more of Charlotte Brontë's handwriting.
Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
The vibrant green background represents the green light calling to Gatsby throughout the novel.
Wordsworth, Letter Quoting "Daffodils"
Between the colour scheme and the subject matter, this cheery cover is a longtime favourite.
Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars
The famed French aviator and writer is honoured with this cover.
Blake, Poems
With a writer as prolific as William Blake, it was too hard to choose just one work to reproduce! This cover portrays a draft of seven poems, including “London” and “To Nobodaddy,” from his notebook published in the late 1700s.
Poe, Tamerlane
With its deep purple hue, our Edgar Allan Poe is another favourite in our Embellished Manuscripts Collection.
Kafka, The Metamorphosis
Franz Kakfa's seminal work, a masterclass in existentialist angst, is reproduced here.
Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
The fiery passion of Hugo's popular historical novel is captured on this journal cover.
Jane Austen, Persuasion
The last novel fully completed before her death, Persuasion is one of Jane Austen's most lyrical works.
Which cover author has most inspired you?
About Paperblanks: 25 years ago, we created Paperblanks to help keep book heritage alive and vital in our modern age, and to offer an inspiring space for people to express themselves. Thanks for joining us on this journey! For more about Paperblanks, go to our website at paperblanks.com.
