Armchair travel by Martine and Prosper Assouline

French couple Martine and Prosper Assouline see publishing exquisite coffee-table tomes as a luxurious take on lifestyle. Which is precisely why they showcase their one-of-a-kind world at Maison&Objet each year. Currently based in New York, where they’ve recently celebrated their publishing house’s 25th birthday, they invite us to explore the bookshelves of their Upper East Side apartment. There are coffee-table books, of course, but also lots of French literature, inspiring dreams and travel...

Do you have any particular rituals when reading?

First thing in the morning with a cup of coffee.

Where do you keep your books at home?

Absolutely everywhere. They’re placed on tables but also used as tables, stacked up in piles of different heights to punctuate a room and bring it to life, or on their own to add a splash of colour to a piece of furniture, and, of course, on bookshelves, as we have lots of them.

In terms of decor, what makes for the perfect reading nook?

Firstly and most importantly, good light, from a lamp or window. Secondly, you need somewhere pleasant to sit, and when you’re reading a coffee table book, you need somewhere to put it down: a sofa, bed, table or book stand.

At this unprecedented time, what “magical powers” would you say books have?

They allow you to simultaneously learn and dream. That’s the alchemy we try to create in our books. I call it pure escapism, which is all I really need right now.

Which book immediately springs to mind when we say: Published by Assouline?

A ticket to travel... Athens Riviera by Stéphanie Artarit.
A cultural discovery... Capri, Dolce Vita by Cesare Cunaccia.
A treat for the eyes and taste buds... Dinner with Jackson Pollock by Robyn Lea.
The weight of words... YSL, The Impossible Collection by Laurence Benaim, due to be published in May.
Impactful images... 30 Years at Vanity Fair by Jonathan Becker.

Which book is currently sitting on your bedside table?

Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar (published by Folio)

Which book quote do you currently find particularly inspiring?

“Turn a deaf ear to the naysayers: poetry book sales may be in freefall, but poetry will never die. It expresses everything that literature simply cannot convey. Vague truths. Our untold dreams, emotions, thoughts. It has no purpose, other than to share with others all the things that are beyond our understanding and that we are incapable of formulating ourselves.” Franz-Olivier Giesbert/ La dernière fois que j’ai rencontré Dieu (The last time I met God, published by Gallimard).