Wabi Sabi. Trouver la beauté dans l'imperfection is a how-to coffee table book with 100 Wabi Sabi projects. This Japanese philosophy advocates a return to nature and simplicity. It has sold more than 2,500 copies in France. Translation rights have been sold in two languages. 

 
"Contrast crystal chandeliers, with a simple wreath of dried reeds; gold with dry leaves; symmetry with a shaggy tuft; the crafted ornament with natural ones; a valuable family heirloom with something ephemeral; light will filter through just as well." Derived from Zen Buddhism, wabi sabi is a view of the world, an aesthetic, an ethic, and a way of living that welcomes imperfection and the impermanence of all things. 

"This book invites readers to consider their way of life, take a step back from our consumerist society and rid themselves of the superfluous," explains Mathilde Barrois, Director of Foreign Rights at Gallimard Loisirs. For example, the reader is invited to make a lamp from tree bark or a candle holder from flower petals, using the detailed and very easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.

The book has sold 2,500 copies in France and been translated into Russian and Spanish. "What appeals to foreign publishers is how surprisingly well the book combines the aspects of a very inspiring coffee table book and an excellent how-to-guide. A book that really develops creativity and imagination," explains Mathilde Barrois.

 

Katja Petrovic 

May 2024