The New Week-End Book, Nonesuch Press, 1955 Edition

An utterly beautiful and deeply comforting book, one that feels made for slow afternoons, country light, and the quiet pleasure of reading without hurry.

The New Week-End Book, first published in this expanded edition in 1955, is a rich and wonderfully eclectic anthology celebrating leisure, culture, and the art of living well. Edited by Francis Meynell for the Nonesuch Press, it gathers together poetry, prose, essays, illustrations, and practical reflections on subjects ranging from nature, food, and gardening to architecture, animals, weather, and song.

The binding alone is a joy: a striking patterned cloth in warm brick red and cream, with a gilt-stamped spine label that feels more like a piece of textile design than a book cover. Inside, the pages are beautifully laid out, interspersed with delicate illustrations and thoughtful typography, very much in keeping with the Nonesuch Press’s reputation for craftsmanship and care.

This is a book to dip into rather than read straight through. To leave open on a table. To return to across seasons. A companion for weekends, holidays, and quiet evenings, when time stretches and curiosity is allowed to wander.