Barjavel, 4 publishers, only 1 illustrator
On the 40th anniversary of René Barjavel’s death (November 24, 1985), four French publishers joined forces to publish a new edition of the writer’s most famous works. They called on a single illustrator, Francesco Bongiorni, to create 16 original covers. What a fantastic way to remember Barjavel!
« Bringing Barjavel back to bookstores with a new visual identity was like opening a passage between the past and the future.
His novels, which are disturbingly relevant today, weave together technological concerns, fears about the fragility of our environment, and terror in the face of apocalyptic weapons, restoring humanity to its central but vulnerable place in the world.
Working on the covers of his books was a visionary journey for me, sometimes brutal, where Barjavel’s pen conveys the deep anxieties of humanity, both ancestral and contemporary.
Illustrating them was like engaging in a dialogue with an imagination that is still alive, capable of asking urgent and universal questions. »
Francesco Bongiorni
This month, Presses de la Cité, Pocket, Denoël, and Folio are launching around fifteen titles, from “La charrette bleue” to “Ravage”, including “Les Chemins de Katmandou”.
The entire body of work by Barjavel, the master of science fiction, is enriched by Francesco’s exquisitely detailed illustrations, bringing it firmly into the present day
