The Hellbound Heart lettered edition

Description from Suntup Website

The Suntup edition of The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker is presented in three states: Classic, Numbered and Lettered. The editions measure 6” x 9½” and feature fourteen new color illustrations by the author, and an afterword by Phil & Sarah Stokes.

All states include a reproduction of Kirk Reinert’s cover art from the first standalone paperback edition of 1991. In addition, the Numbered and Lettered states feature a fold-out of the Classic edition dust jacket art by Dave McKean. Bonus content includes sketches of the Cenobite by Clive Barker, as well as scans of pages from the handwritten and typewritten manuscript.

The book is designed, cast in metal and printed letterpress by David Wolfe at Wolfe Editions in Portland, Maine on Mohawk Superfine, mouldmade Somerset Book and handmade Saint Armand papers. The typeface is Monotype Plantin. The titling faces are Castellar designed by John Peters and Caledonia designed by W.A. Dwiggins. The press work was accomplished on a Nebiolo cylinder press.

The Lettered edition is limited to 26 copies and and features a Bradel-style binding with Gothic-inspired wooden boards and custom metal corner furniture. The spine is covered in undyed veiny calf parchment, while the boards are clad in dark red, highly figured parchment that retains the natural markings of processing—an intentional nod to the visceral and unsettling tone of the text. Through elongated triangular apertures cut into the wooden boards, this parchment is visible, intersected by the metal fittings in a way that subtly recalls the tension and pulling of flesh described in the novel. Red suede endbands, dark brown suede doublures, and hand-dyed red-veined craquelé endpapers complete the interior, all created by the binder to echo the book’s macabre atmosphere.

The edition is housed in a bespoke wooden box, inspired by the craft of traditional Japanese wooden puzzle boxes. Constructed from black walnut, ziricote, and maple, the box features sliding and shifting panels that must be manipulated in the correct sequence to unlock and reveal the book within. Brass corner fittings accent the structure, and a concealed surprise awaits when the final move is made. This intricate, interactive enclosure serves as a tangible homage to Lemarchand’s box, embodying the allure and danger of solving a puzzle whose solution opens the door to another world.

Printed letterpress from metal type on handmade Saint-Armand paper, this state is signed by Clive Barker, Phil Stokes and Sarah Stokes. Each copy of this edition is bound by hand by bookbinder Graham Patten in Boston, Massachusetts, who has also handcrafted the wooden enclosure.

Also check the other states of the book:

Classic- Numbered