AbeBooks and Penguin Classics have teamed up to raise money for EnglishPEN, an international charity devoted to author's rights and freedom in literature.
To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Penguin Classics asked shoe designer Manolo Blahnik along with fashion designer Paul Smith, photographer and video artist Sam Taylor-Wood, architect Ron Arad and graphic designers Fuel to create new editions of timeless novels.
- Manolo Blahnik selected Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
- Paul Smith selected Lady Chatterley's Lover by DH Lawrence;
- Sam Taylor-Wood selected Tender is the Night by F Scott Fitzgerald;
- Ron Arad selected The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky;
- Fuel (Stephen Sorrell & Damon Murray) selected Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Penguin published 1000 limited numbered copies of each book. No.1 from each series has been signed by its respective designer and all five unique signed copies will be available to the highest bidder through a traditional auction staged online at AbeBooks.com - the world's largest online marketplace for new, used, rare and out-of-print books.
Abebooks.com spokesperson Richard Davies said the landing page is on AbeBooks website, and the actual auctions are hosted externally, powered by AuctionAnything.com. Davies said AbeBooks is not moving to auction sales - it is fixed price only - but depending on how this event goes, they may do more charity auctions.
http://www.abebooks.com/docs/Featured/Penguin06.shtml