You can get a bit snow-blind for all the great books that come out in October and November. 'Tis the season, after all, when publishers like to bring out their big guns. With this in mind, I highlight here 'Made in North Korea' by Nick Bonner.
Bonner studied landscape architecture in the UK. During a study trip to China in 1993 he visited North Korea and subsequently set up Koryo Tours, based in Beijing, specialising in tourism to the DPRK. Since 2001, Bonner has produced three documentaries on North Korea and a feature film.
'Made in North Korea', Bonner's first book on the country, uncovers the fascinating and surprisingly beautiful graphic culture of North Korea – from packaging to hotel brochures, luggage tags to tickets for the world-famous mass games. From his base in Beijing, running tours into North Korea, Bonner has amassed thousands of items that, as a collection, provide an extraordinary and rare insight into North Korea's state-controlled graphic output, and the lives of ordinary North Koreans.
Made in North Korea