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Picador will be re-issuing 12 classic novels it has published across the past four decades in a new black-and-white series. The collection will celebrate the literary imprint's 40th anniversary in 2012.
The books—published on 2nd February, each to be priced at £7.99—include three Man Booker Prize winners: The Sea by John Banville, Last Orders by Graham Swift, and The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst.
The novel that sparked the chick-lit boom, Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, and the hugely controversial American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis are also on the list.
Recent bestseller Room by Emma Donoghue, All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano, White Noise by Don DeLillo, Mother's Milk by Edward St Aubyn and Dirt Music by Tim Winton complete the series of re-issues.
Each reissued novel will come with supplementary material at the back to place the novel in its context, including reviews of the novel's original publication, author interviews and essays, a reproduction of the original jacket artwork, reading guides, and information about film adaptations.
Explaining his decision to unify the series by using black and white, Picador senior designer Neil Lang said: "Originally the series started with a more rigid feel, using the same typography and positioning on all, but by using the black and white to unite them it meant that a typeface could be chosen to suit each title. Of course, I couldn't resist a nod to the classic white spine, which always looked great on a bookshelf."
Picador will also commemorate its 40th anniversary in its 2012 events programme, which will include a champagne breakfast with readings at Welsh arts festival the Laugharne Weekend in the spring; and a tree-giving by the publisher at the Latitude music festival in August.