This is a new edition of the 2010 chronicle of printer and publisher Steidl, renowned for its photobooks and literature list including Nobel Laureates Günter Grass and Halldór Laxness. Concentric Circles takes us behind the bustling scenes at Steidl in Göttingen, Germany, revealing the surprising realities of bookmaking and personality of Gerhard Steidl, founder of the company in 1968 and described by The New Yorker as “the printer the world’s best photographers trust most.”

The chronicle’s first section “Daily Circles” is a log of everyday life at Steidl in 2008 and 2009, full of unexpected details and anecdotes: an urgent fax from Karl Lagerfeld about an elaborate Chanel catalogue, problems on press with Roni Horn’s book, Robert Polidori recalling his many visits to photograph the Palace of Versailles… The second section “Artistic Circles” contains in-depth interviews with photographers including Robert Frank, Dayanita Singh, David Bailey and Juergen Teller exploring their experiences making books at Steidl. This paperback edition features a new introduction by Monte Packham reflecting on life and work at Steidl today, as well as updated artists’ biographies.