Thinking About…Dwarsligger
Picture this, it’s 2011 I am alone and wandering through Kings Cross Station in London. Why? I can’t remember. It’s strange that I would be travelling by myself from my town in England to London. Maybe this explains why I had so much time before my train home. I was known to add an extra hour or two towards my travel time just to be “safe”.
With so much time I wandered through the shops and cafes at the station while I waited for my train home. It was in one of these shops that I found these adorable little books that had superfine paper and opened from bottom to top not left to right. I immediately loved them and spent my very sparse money getting one for myself. This was my first introduction to Dwarsligger. But I wouldn’t know that at the time, for all I knew they were just Flipback books.
You could definitely say that is a core memory for me. Let’s just say that is not and was not my everyday life it was definitely a special occurrence. Maybe that’s why these books are so stuck in my head. Although I’ve always had a place in my heart for small things. Either way, I’ve been in love with these Dwarsligger books for years.
WHAT IS DWARSLIGGER?
Simply put Dwarsligger is a dutch word and refers to pocket-sized books that are orientated horizontally instead of vertically. The idea is that you can carry around a complete novel inside your pocket. The books have a special binding that means that they open flat so you can hold and read with only one hand without having to hold the book open. The publishers Jongbloed BV entered these books into circulation in 2009.
DWARSLIGGER TO FLIPBACK
In 2011 Hodder and Stoughton published some Dwarsligger books in English. The English publications ditched the term Dwarsligger and called them Flipback books. It was one of these Flipback books I bought on that fateful day in 2011. I haven’t been able to figure out all the titles Hodder and Stoughton published as Flipbacks.
Naive me assumed these books would just be around forever. Had I known that after that moment I wouldn’t see another one for ages I might have bought myself a couple more. As it was I just had a Flipback version of One Day by David Nicholls. When I moved back to Canada I purchased a second-hand Flipback version of Northanger Abbey for much more than I spend on getting a new one in the UK.
I routinely checked to see if these Flipback books were making a comeback because I just adore everything about them. Tiny purse? No purse? Not a problem you can easily bring a book with you everywhere! Isn’t that every bibliophile’s dream? Alas, all those years went by and there was no trace of Flipback books being a thing outside of the Netherlands.
FLIPBACK TO PENGUIN MINI
Hope is not lost as it happens! In 2021 while browsing Chapters there on a shelf I saw it! Those little Flipback books were there! More than one! Turns out all my “flipback” google searches did nothing for me as North America had once again rebranded Dwarsligger as “Penguin Minis”. At that time the only books on offer were by John Green. I’d never read a John Green book before and I did not intend to read a John Green Book but you better believe I grabbed a Penguin Mini book!
I was not going to make the same mistake again. Knowing absolutely nothing about these books I bought An Abundance of Katherines because that’s my middle name. I quite literally danced out of that Chapters unbelievably happy with my find. Who knows maybe if these Penguin Minis took off we get even more of them!
MORE PENGUIN MINIS
Truly bless Penguin books because they have published even more Penguin Minis! Be still my heart because I can barely stand it! I bought the absolutely gorgeous Penguin Mini version of Anne of Green Gables. I don’t think I can convey how happy these books make me.
Does it make me a little sad that in the Netherlands they have SO MANY DWARSLIGGER BOOKS? Yes, it does I won’t lie. I want to read Circe by Madeline Miller in a Dwarsligger/Flipback/Penguin Mini version. But I am going to take what I can and be thankful for that.
You can see the current offering of Penguin Minis here: The Mighty Small Blog Penguin Mini Books
Also, be sure to check out your local book shops!
(PLEASE go buy some of these! They are wonderful and easily go with you everywhere. Plus if we buy more maybe Penguin will make more and keep them around!)
WHAT’S NEXT FOR MY DWARSLIGGER COLLECTION?
Well, I am probably going to go back and get myself a Penguin Mini version of A Little Princess. I’ve also been trying to find a Flipback version of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Other than that at this moment I am keeping an eye out for more Dwarsligger offerings and treasuring the ones I already have!
Do you have any Dwarsligger books? I love them and I think if you love owning books you’ll love them too!
Happy Reading!
Hannah
Read more about the things I obsess over! Here: Thinking About… Solje Brooches
Want to learn more? Here are all my references.
