Italian collector Livia Satriano thinks a book should definitely be judged by its cover. ‘If it is true that an ugly cover can sometimes hide a surprise inside, a beautiful cover rarely has disappointing content behind it,’ she says.
Her recently launched online bookstore Libri Belli offers a selection from her ever-growing collection of books, which she has sourced over the years from second-hand stores, vintage markets and online libraries. Libri Belli – meaning beautiful books, although its direct English translation fails to convey the humorously nostalgic connotations – stocks a growing selection of unusual titles.
The selection currently includes everything from a history of witchcraft to a practical guide to prostitution from the 1970s, and will soon offer a series of particularly beautiful editions of classic books, with a mix of fiction and non-fiction titles. Although the subject matter is as diverse as it comes, the titles share a common thread in their beautifully designed covers, combining bright illustrations and typography.
‘I have been accumulating these books on my shelves for years,’ says Satriano. ‘Now it’s time for them to see the light.’ Settle in and flick through the best titles of the bunch.
Left, a book collecting crime stories from Italy's past. Right, a humorously titled book on Monet from the 1940s
These books are part of a series by French photographer Dominique Darbois, who travelled the world to document childhood across the globe
Libri Belli's non-fiction selection includes a tome on the human mind (left), and a treaty on anxiety (right)
Satriano selected the books for her collection because of their stunning covers. 'I admit I don't know much about Serge Kancer [author of Gli Scatenati, left], but I like to think it's about a 1950s Venus in Fur. But I might be very wrong'
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Libri Belli website
-
Bocci and Anna Carnick join forces on a showcase of evocative design practices in Berlin'Crafting Community' is on view at Berlin's Wilhelm Hallen until 14 September 2025
-
The story behind a one-of-a-kind Dieter Rams handbag, reborn by German leather brand TsatsasA new exhibition at Vitsœ’s London store celebrates the ‘931’ bag, designed by Dieter Rams for his wife Ingeborg in 1963 and reborn over half a century later in a collaboration between Rams and German leather accessories brand Tsatsas
-
A Miami pied-à-terre channels Art Deco glamour and endless summerInterior designer Olga Malyev reimagines a South of Fifth apartment with bold colour, vintage treasures and a sunlit spirit that captures Miami’s timeless allure
-
Cult classic ‘Teenagers in Their Bedrooms’ captures the angst of being a teenAre 1990s teens so different? Three decades after its original release, this photography book by Adrienne Salinger has been published again, by DAP
-
Booker Prize 2025: Kiran Desai returns with long-awaited follow-up as longlist is revealedThis year’s Booker Prize longlist captures the emotional complexity of our times, with stories of fractured families, shifting identities and the search for meaning in unfamiliar places
-
How to be butch: Clark Henley’s sharp, satirical and playful manual is back in printThe 1982 classic, ‘The Butch Manual: The Current Drag and How to Do It’, full of tongue-in-cheek advice, is available once again
-
We are all fetishists, says Anastasiia Fedorova in her new book, which takes a deep dive into kinkIn ‘Second Skin’, writer and curator Fedorova takes a tour through the materials, objects and power dynamics we have fetishised
-
The gayest love story ever told: Jeremy Atherton Lin's memoir is a tribute to homeIn 'Deep House: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told', Jeremy Atherton Lin mixes memoir with a historical deep-dive into marriage equlaity
-
The glory years of the Cannes Film Festival are captured in a new photo book‘Cannes’ by Derek Ridgers looks back on the photographer's time at the Cannes Film Festival between 1984 and 1996
-
For the 2025 Eurovision theme art, Swiss design principles get a glow-upLondon-based branding agency NOT Wieden+Kennedy marries graphic design history and exuberance in its theme art for this year's song contest
-
Taschen’s sexy record covers are hitting all the right notesTaschen has been through 50 years of album art for its latest tome, ‘Sexy Record Covers’
