Croatian books selected for 2026 “Best Book Design from all over the World” competition
The National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) and Croatian Designers Association selected best designed Croatian books published in 2025 as part of the national book design competition (Hrvatska lijepa knjiga), annually organised as part of a larger, international competition, conducted by the German Book Art Foundation (Stiftung Buchkunst).
The selected books will enter two major book events in Europe – the international Best Book Design from all over the World competition, which is held every year as part of the Leipzig Book Fair, and the Book Art International exhibition, traditionally taking place as part of the world-famous Frankfurt Book Fair.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the competition’s presence in Croatia and 60 years of the Foundation’s competition, the Best Book Design from all over the World exhibition will be hosted by the Library, where all the book design enthusiasts and the general public will be able to see it between 1 July and 31 August 2026.
The best designed Croatian books published in 2025
Out of altogether 188 entries submitted during this latest edition of the competition, a judging panel consisting of the graphic artist and professional cameraman Luka Gusić, academic painter and graphic artist Danijel Srdarev, Associate Professor at the University of Osijek’s Academy of Arts and Culture and cultural theorist Nives Tomašević, an award-winning member of the Association and the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association Lana Grahek, the award-wining graphic designer Lana Cavar and Senior Librarian and Curator at the NSK Print Collection Vesna Vlašić Jurić selected the following 12 titles, listed here in alphabetical order:
Afterparty – razgovori o menopauzi i starenju
Author: Milijana Babić
Graphic design: Ana Furić and Marino Krstačić-Tomić
Publisher: Knjižnice grada Zagreba (Galerija Prozori)
Arhitektura secesije u Zagrebu – Tijelo moje duše
Author: Dubravka Kisić
Photographs: Iva Ceraj, Boris Cvjetanović, Buga Cvjetanović, Fedor Đamonja, Damir Fabijanić, Miljenko Gregl, Jovan Kliska, Nino Vranić
Graphic design: Sven Sorić
Publisher: Srednja Europa
Do utopije i natrag
Author: Alida Bremer
Illustrations: Stefhany Y. Lozano
Graphic design: Nina Bačun, Roberta Bratović
Design and layout: Urtina Hoxha
Publisher: Umjetnička organizacija Oaza
Dvanaest smjerova vjetra
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Croatian translation: Andrea Rudan, Ivana Miloš
Illustrations: Daria Čičmir, Melisa Gračić, Klasja Habjan, Lana Kostrešević, Agata Lučić, Lara Martinović, Valeria Medić, Ivana Miloš, Ana Mojzeš, Ena Priselec, Andrea Resner, Klara Rusan, Katarina Sorić, Marina Šuran-Pulig, Hana Tintor, Franka Tretinjak, Ana-Marija Vašiček
Graphic design: Dora Bilandžić, Ema Božek
Publisher: Artikularij
Future Legacies
Authors: Cvetka Požar, Ivana Borovnjak, Koraljka Vlajo (editors)
Photographs: Maria Alexandrescu, Pedro Arsenio, Uwe Bodenschatz, Andreea David, Jenna Duffy, Susanne Ehnert, Alen Karamehić, Luka Karlin, Nemanja Knežević, Oleg Miklić, Alisa Mujkanović, Ines Silva Sa, Amadeja Smrekar, Matej Subotić (MADE IN Knowledge Atlas), Soffie Beu, Borut Brozović, Aurelie Cenno, Jenna Duffy, Tanja Drobnjak, James Earley, Rene Eckert, Susanne Ehnert, Igor Eškinja, Alan Karamehić, Lejla Agić, Robertina Šebjanič, Borut Brozović, Ronilački centar ATJ Lučko, Luka Karlin, Tanja Minarik, Rok Oblak, Ines Silva Sa, Kim Cordes, Domen Nan, Amadeja Smrekar, Robertina Šebjanič, Dragana Udovičić, Jamnik Zielke (MADE IN Collaborations), Ruxandra Lupu, Burglabs (Essays), Luka Karlin (MADE IN: Future Legacies exhibition)
Illustrations: Magdalena Feikusova, Žan Kobal, Flora Lechner, SOLL, Robertina Šebjanič (MADE IN Knowledge Atlas and MADE IN Collaborations), Co-rizome, Institute of Design Research Vienna (Essays)
Graphic design/design: Ivana Borovnjak, Tina Ivezić
Layout: Ela Meseldžić
Publishers: Muzej za umjetnost i obrt, Zagreb
Umjetnička organizacija Oaza, Zagreb
Muzej za arhitekturu i dizajn, Zagreb
Muzej primijenjene umjetnosti, Dresden
Drugo more, Rijeka
Nova Iskra, Beograd
Passa Ao Futuro, Lisabon
Center Rog, Ljubljana
Fakultet primijenjenih umjetnosti, Schneeberg
Gradski muzej Zenica
Jadrankin prvi život
Author: Olja Savičević Ivančević, Božena Končić Badurina, Jadranka Klekar
Drawings: Božena Končić Badurina
Photo portrait: Ivan Klekar
Graphic design: Zoran Đukić, Hrvoje Živčić
Publisher: BLOK – Lokalna baza za osvježavanje kulture
Kastav
Author: Davor Žic
Photographs: Petar Fabijan, Arhiva TZ Kastav, Nikola Cvjetović, Dean Jurčić, Andrej Gherliza, Arsen Miletić, Robert Kalčić, Marko Gracin, Petar Kürschner jr., Damir Zamaklar, the Glas kastavski archive, Pomorski and povijesni muzej Hrvatskog primorja Rijeka
Graphic design: Studio Sonda, Vižinada
Publisher: Naklada Val, Rijeka
O vješticama (Nije li ona prestara za to?)
Author: Sanja Iveković
Photographs: Judith Jockel, Nenad Dugi/Cropix, Roko Crnić, ©Nacional, Goran Fejić, Jerry Braun, Jadran Boban
Graphic design: Nina Bačun and Roberta Bratović
Publisher: Umjetnička organizacija Oaza
Snimak postojećeg stanja: rijeka, pruga, ulica
Authors: Melita Čavlović, Marko Ercegović
Photographs: Marko Ercegović
Graphic design: Igor Kuduz
Publisher: Marko Ercegović, Muzej za umjetnost i obrt
Sparina Kocke – kvir tragovi Kluba Kocka, Split
Authors: Adam Erdmann, Franzi Goralski
Graphic design: Rafaela Dražić
Publisher: Split: queerANarchive
Umjetnost umije
Author: Agata Lučić
Graphic design: Agata Lučić
Prepress: Zrinka Horvat
Publisher: Mala zvona
Utvrde – Sudbina jednoga grada
Authors: Katarina Pocedić and Katarina Marić
Photographs: Ida Skoko, Caspar Vanmeulen, Goran Škofić, Armin Kadrić
Graphic design: Studio Tumpić/Prenc
Publisher: Povijesni i pomorski muzej Istre / Museo storico e navale dell’Istria, Pula-Pola
After the international presentation of the greatest achievements in book design from across the world as part of the Leipzig and Frankfurt book fairs, all selected books will be included among the holdings of the German Museum of Books and Writing, operating as part of the German National Library.
The National and University Library in Zagreb and Croatian Designers Association congratulate the authors, designers, illustrators and publishers of the winning titles and thanks all who took part in the competition.
Photo: © NSK