Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book

Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book
AuthorJohanna Basford
LanguageEnglish
Published2013
PublisherLaurence King Publishing
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint
Pages96
ISBN978-1780671062

Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book is a 2013 colouring book for adults by Johanna Basford. The book has 40 foreign versions and has sold over 8 million copies,[1] becoming one of the best-selling books on Amazon.[2]

Basford had been approached by Laurence King Publishing in 2011 after the publisher had seen Basford's work online. While the publisher originally wanted a colouring book for children, Basford proposed one for adults.[2] Basford was inspired by several of her clients joking with her that they would enjoy colouring in her work, which was frequently done in black and white.[3] Initially the publisher was reluctant to release such an unorthodox book. However they eventually relented and the first run quickly sold out.[3] The book's success is frequently cited as starting the adult coloring book trend.[2][3] The book is modelled after the Brodick Castle Gardens on the Isle of Arran where Basford played as a child.[4] By August 2015, Secret Garden had sold 6.8 million copies worldwide[5] and launched the colouring trend for adults. In February 2015, Basford released a second book: Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest & Colouring Book,[6] and a third, Lost Ocean: An Inky Adventure and Colouring Book in October 2015.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Fraser, Douglas (27 October 2015). "Ink evangelist Johanna Basford makes it big". BBC News. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Herman, Barbara (30 March 2015). "'Secret Garden' Colouring Book Outsells Harper Lee As Adults Seek 'Digital Detox'". International Business Times. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Boztaz, Senay; Freeman, Colin (19 March 2016). "Colouring-in craze causes pencil shortages". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  4. ^ Frank, Priscilla (24 March 2015). "A Colouring Book For Adults, Because Everyone Deserves To Unleash Their Inner Creative". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  5. ^ Flood, Alison (27 August 2015). "Secret Garden colouring-in book sells 3m copies in China". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Artist Goes Outside The Lines With Coloring Books For Grown-Ups". NPR. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  7. ^ Anderson, Elizabeth (28 October 2015). "Illustrator Johanna Basford launches Lost Ocean as adult colouring book craze sweeps the world". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2022.

Further reading

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