Announcing FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON by Daniel Keyes

Conversation Tree Press has just announced a letterpress edition of Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon, an undisputed classic.

Based upon their recent book, Faun by Joe Hill, we're certain this will be another can't miss production.

We've locked in quantities of the Standard and Deluxe editions for our customers. The latter is close to selling out at the publisher, and we have very few copies, so don't delay.

Daniel Keyes’s “Flowers for Algernon,” originally a Hugo Award-winning short story expanded into a Nebula Award-winning novel, tells the poignant tale of Charlie Gordon through his own journal entries. Charlie, a man with an intellectual disability, undergoes a groundbreaking procedure to enhance his intelligence, a treatment first trialed on Algernon, a laboratory mouse. As Charlie’s intellect grows exponentially, he grapples with complex emotions and the reevaluation of his identity.

Keyes’s narrative transcends a mere personal transformation story, offering a critical look at the ethics of scientific experimentation on both animals and humans, particularly the issues of consent and understanding from the subjects. The novel is lauded for its sensitive and humane portrayal of mental disability and remains a vital work for its exploration of themes that question the essence and ethical boundaries of human experimentation.

DELUXE STATE:

• Limited to 175 numbered copies.
• Handbound by Ludlow Bookbinders in full goatskin leather with extensive foil stamping, done with exacting precision in three passes, forming an intricate floral motif in green, gold and blue. This pattern, meant to evoke the complexity and interconnectedness of life and intelligence, stands in stark contrast to the bright white, clinical background of the leather. Scattered among these blooms are petals captured in descent, a poignant reminder of life’s changing seasons and Charlie’s journey.
• Letterpress-printed on thick, luxurious Madrid Litho 160gsm (108lb) paper.
• The endpapers are light blue Hahnemuhle Bugra and the top edge is gilded.
• The book is housed in a custom slipcase handmade by Ludlow Bookbinders. It is wrapped in a two-tone, blue Dubletta fabric with top and bottom caps in a durable cloth with leather embossing, and the inside is lined in white suedel.
• Trim size of 170mm by 240mm (6.7in by 9.5in).
• 236 pages + front and back matter + 8 full colour pages of artwork.
• 6 pen and ink drawings printed letterpress.

STANDARD STATE:

• Limited to 250 unnumbered copies.
• Quarter-bound in olive Fancy Linen cloth with letterpress-printed Rossi 1931 floral paper, whose faded petals are evocative of the transient nature of intelligence and beauty, central to the novel’s exploration of the human condition.
• Printed letterpress on Swedish Munken Pure Rough 120gsm (80lb) paper.
• GF Smith Colourplan endpapers.
• Enclosed by a custom slipcase (picture coming soon) handmade by Ludlow Bookbinders, wrapped in Fancy Linen fabric and lined with suedel.
• Trim size of 170mm by 240mm (6.7in by 9.5in).
• 236 pages + front and back matter + 8 full colour pages of artwork.
• 6 pen and ink drawings printed letterpress.