Published to coincide with the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Festival Hall. 

The Royal Festival Hall (RFH) - an important example of modernism architecture and one of London's best-loved buildings - was built as a beacon of hope and renewal after the Second World War, and quickly became popular. In this new book, a selection of contributors - architects, technicians, musicians, historians, and cultural programmers - tell the varied stories of the building and the people who use it. The book is illustrated with photography specially commissioned from the renowned architectural photographer, Edmund Sumner, and contains 21 written contributions on different aspects of the RFH, from its history as a piece of architecture to the story of the famous organ, from the approach to literature and spoken word to the life of the production team. The building's emergence as a destination for all, whether to enjoy a performance by a world-famous symphony orchestra, a dance class, a poetry reading, or just a cup of coffee, is considered in the context of the intentions of its original planners and those who have led, maintained, and refurbished it since. 

This book offers an invaluable record of the history of this celebrated building in the first 75 years of its life, and looks to its future as a center of cultural programming - both weathering and shaping change - for many more decades to come. 

• Published to coincide with the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Festival Hall
• Written by architects, musicians, and technicians who have been closely involved with the building and its renovation.
• A fascinating and thought-provoking book for anyone interested in the development of London's cultural life. 

<b>A new coloring book featuring 30 drawings of beautiful Pueblo pottery designs for you to complete</b><p>Pueblo pottery is renowned for its extraordinary beauty and craftsmanship. Pueblo is a Spanish word meaning ‘town’ or ‘village’. When the Spanish arrived in 1540 in what is now known as the American Southwest, they referred to the Indigenous communities and their settlements as Pueblos. The Pueblos are among the oldest settlements in North America, and their pottery-making tradition is as old as the ancient Pueblos themselves.<p/><p>Pottery is used throughout the life of a Pueblo person, and various forms are made for cooking, gathering water, food storage, and ceremonial use. The Coloring Book of Pueblo Pottery features more than 30 drawings for you to complete, whether by reproducing the traditional palettes or by finding inspiration in the swirling or geometric patterns and stylized motifs for a unique design of your own. Made predominantly by women, the pots are created from natural clay using a coil method; they are hand-painted and then fired outdoors. Designs vary from one Pueblo to another, but symbols and motifs relating to the natural world – birds, deer, plants, and water – are common. Today, such pottery is highly collectible and is found in museums and private collections around the world. This delightful coloring book allows you to create your very own masterpieces of this celebrated and cherished art form.<p/>

As we become increasingly aware of the power of nature to lift our spirits, so, too, are we becoming more conscious of the role that mindfulness can play in sparking our creativity. The renowned textile artist and embroiderer Jane E. Hall brings these ideas together in her captivating new book. As a child, Jane loved playing outside and making things using natural materials, from daisy chains and petal-based perfumes to tiny tea sets of acorn cups and leaf saucers. Now, as a successful professional artist, Jane still finds great happiness and inspiration in connecting with nature, and here encourages you to attune to the beauty of the natural world as a way of stimulating your creativity. Jane begins by explaining how spending time in nature helps us to engage the senses and rediscover playfulness, and outlines her belief that one should embrace the process of making art rather than focusing on its final form. She shares the special spaces, both indoors and out, that allow her imagination to have free rein, and then presents 10 creative ideas inspired by nature. These ‘Creative Contemplations’ first explore building your own treasure collection of materials to use in artistic projects, and then move on to the creation of a range of beautiful designs: stunning mandalas of petals, leaves, and shells; delicate dreamcatchers; a dainty purse of honesty seed pods; handmade birds’ nests; exquisite embroidered butterflies; ‘woodland fairies’ composed of lichen-covered twigs and feathers; and much more. Some ‘Contemplations’ include step-by-step instructions, while others feature the stories behind their making in order to inspire you to push beyond your perceived creative limits. Jane’s writing style is uplifting and engaging, and the text throughout is accompanied by specially commissioned photography. No matter how skilled or unskilled you believe yourself to be, The Nature of Creativity will nurture your artistic thoughts and help you find your inner happiness. Journey with Jane through the natural landscape to unlock your artistic potential and breathe creativity back into your life!

Once upon a time, only typesetters needed to know about kerning, leading, ligatures, and hanging punctuation. Today, however, most of us work on computers, with access to hundreds of fonts, and we’d all like our letters, reports and other documents to look as good – and as readable – as possible. 

But what does all the confusing terminology about ink traps, letter spacing, and visual centering mean, and what are the rules for good typography? Type Matters! is a book of tips for everyday use, for all users of typography, from students and professionals to anyone who does any layout design on a computer. The book is arranged into three chapters: an introduction to the basics of typography; headline and display type; and setting text. 

Within each chapter there are sections devoted to particular principles or problems, such as selecting the right typeface, leading, and the treatment of numbers. Examples throughout show precisely what makes good typography – and, crucially, what doesn’t. Authoritatively written and designed by a practitioner and teacher of typography, Type Matters! has a beautifully clear layout that reinforces the principles discussed throughout.