bookshelf.
Jim has written, contributed to and edited several well-received books – these include works on design and advertising, as well as chapters of fiction published through writers’ group 26. You can get the lowdown by clicking on the titles below.
 Jim provided a detailed critique of Guinness’ rich advertising heritage, placed in the broader context of an evolving industry. Beginning with the first-ever Guinness ad in 1926, he looks back at some of the most iconic advertising of all times, from John Gilroy’s classic ‘My Goodness, My Guinness’ posters, to the enigmatic Man in Black played by Rutger Hauer. Lavishly illustrated, with themed chapters and dippable essays, ‘TBoGA’ was well received by the national and design press, and was nominated Waterstone’s Book of the Week. Amazon UK gives it four stars, Amazon US four and a half. Not that we’re counting.  These four books, written in successive years, tell the stories behind a year’s worth of special stamps – the ones with the pictures on them. For Jim, this meant travelling up and down the country interviewing designers, illustrators, engravers, photographers, artists... even a weaver and silversmith. And researching all sorts of arcane subject matter he wouldn't normally get anywhere near, from submarines to circuses, the bridges of London to Peter Pan. They’re beautifully produced square-format, slip-cased books, and come with a complete set of stamps, which slot neatly into tipped-in cellophane panels. The 1999 Year Book sits proudly in the pages of the D&AD annual in the ‘Writing for Design’ category. We’re currently working on the 2009 Year Book, which is being designed by hat-trick.  A richly diverse glimpse into the life and work of one of the UK’s most iconic fashion designers. ‘You can find…’ includes chapters on Sir Paul’s life-long love of cycling by Richard Williams, sports writer on the Guardian; fiction by novelist James Flint; interviews with neuroscientist Dr Semir Jeki and curator Hans-Ulrich Obrist; plus an extensive chapter entitled ‘True Brit’ by Jim, which delves into the background to and inspiration for Paul Smith’s particular take on fashion.  Following the success of Paul Smith’s London Design Museum show in 1995, the Design Council arranged for the ‘True Brit’ exhibition to tour Japan. Jim wrote the sold-out book of the show, which is now a collector’s item. It explores Sir Paul’s background and influences, and examines how he came to reinvent contemporary menswear in the 1980s and beyond. The original text appears in English and Japanese, and was later republished in ‘You Can Find Inspiration In Anything...’, Paul’s lavish and extraordinarily designed biography.  Published to celebrate 20 years of design for the music industry, ‘Delicious’ is a rich visual compendium of work from one of the UK’s most prolific studios. Working closely with Stylorouge founder Rob O’Connor, Jim edited the book and contributed several key chapters, including the introductory set up, and an in-depth essay on the semiotics of the CD cover portrait.  The Bard & Company is a multi-authored book project from 26. Conveniently enough, there were 26 players in Shakespeare’s company, so that magic number of writers were assigned a play and a player, and asked to explore ways in which the Bard can bring lessons to modern business life. Jim helped edit the book with John Simmons and Rob Williams. And also contributed the finale, a chapter which features all 26 of the players – it’s a darkly comic tale of vaulting ambition and skulduggery on the Welcombe Hills outside Stratford, and was inspired by a real-life RSC publicity stunt which used a flotilla of hot-air balloons to pump ambient music and Shakespeare readings over the rooftops of Stratford.  Another 26 book project, in which 30 writers were asked to explore the way a certain neck of the woods has coloured the work of a literary great. Which prompted chapters on Dickens' Kent, the Rev W Awdry's Wiltshire, Thomas Hardy's Dorset, Paul Abbott's Burnley, and more.  A literary anthology in which each of the 30 stations along the Circle Line (the yellow one) were tackled by a different writer. The result was an intriguing mix of fiction, poetry, memoir and reportage. Jim was allocated Euston Square by the editors, and at first a little miffed to get such a seemingly uninspiring spot. However, the Bloomsbury Group quickly came to mind, and it struck him that what really interests people about them is their notorious sexual shenanigans. So he concocted a story about a country ingenue called Algy, who arrives in London and mistakenly gets caught up in an upmarket orgy. Kind of PG Wodehouse meets Marquis de Sade. You can read the full, uncensored chapter plus plenty more interesting stuff by buying the book.  The companion book to the ‘26 Letters’ poster exhibition held at the British Library in late 2004. Twenty-six commercial writers and 26 of the UK’s leading graphic designers were teamed up to create fresh, imaginative and inspirational written and visual interpretations of the alphabet. Jim worked with living legend Derek Birdsall on i, and his chapter (like the other entries) is a diary piece on how they met, worked together and came up with their poster idea. 
A visual overview of the work of typographic designer and comic artist Rian Hughes. Part retro, part techno, his hip, 1950s-influenced style is instantly recognisable. Jim wrote the introduction to ‘Art, Commercial’ to lend context and interpretation to the picture-laden pages that followed.  A dinky, flock-bound book featuring the work of Thomas Manss studio, which fuses German and English cultural references to create compelling design. Jim contributed an essay on the difference between graphic wit in Germany and Britain – a tough call... |
well read.
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A selection of books that have hit the spot with us. Keep checking back, as we'll be regularly updating this section.
How I Write – The Seret Lives of Authors.
Paul Rand.
The Chambers Dictionary.
The New York Trilogy
Love in the Time of Cholera.
The Act of Love.
Alphabets – A Miscellany of Letters.
Seven Hundred Penguins
Tibor Kalman - Perverse Optimist.
Imperial Blandings - An Omnibus.