Formist Editions has launched a Kickstarter campaign to publish Kris Sowersby: The Art of Letters.

We are surrounded by letters.

Yet how do we perceive them?

Are we even conscious of it?

A visual feast of letterforms, Kris Sowersby: The Art of Letters is an 800 page book exploring letters as art, form and language. It will feature 750 large glyph illustrations. Printed one per page in powerful black on white, the drawings provide a visceral insight into the working life of a type designer.

The book examines Sowersby’s letter drawing practice while considering the characters as independent works of art, exploring their interconnections of function and style. It celebrates the absurd beauty involved in creating multiple expressions of predetermined alphabets through nuance and theory.

Designed by Mark Gowing and published by Formist Editions, the book will feature an introduction by Gowing and a critical essay by Paul McNeil, graphic designer, writer and educator. Sowersby and Gowing are collaborating on a custom typeface that will be used to typeset the book.

There’s a range of special rewards to accompany the book, including a t-shirt, type specimens, books and badges.