Paperblanks Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Ultra Hardback Journal – Lined, 144 Pages

Capture your ideas, plans and memories in this Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ultra hardback journal from Paperblanks, with 144 lined pages of 120 gsm acid-free paper.

Published in 1969, Maya Angelou’s coming-of-age memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was an immediate national bestseller and a critical success. On the manuscript page reproduced here, Angelou captures the moment when she and her brother, Bailey, arrived in Arkansas to be raised by their paternal grandmother.

The Story Behind the Design

Published in 1969, Maya Angelou’s coming-of-age memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was an immediate national bestseller and a critical success. The book, the first in a series that chronicled her early life through the 1960s, helped to establish Angelou (1928–2014) as a major figure in American letters.

On this manuscript page from the book, Angelou captures the moment when she and her brother, Bailey, arrived in Arkansas to be raised by their paternal grandmother and presages the personalities that she and Bailey would later develop. Today the manuscript is held at the Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture, a part of The New York Public Library.

With connections to activist, literary and expat communities in the United States and Ghana, Angelou’s work encapsulates the Schomburg Centre’s strongest holdings – stories of the struggles, triumphs and fortitude in the everyday vicissitudes of Black life. We are honoured to partner with The New York Public Library to bring this fascinating document to our Paperblanks collection.

Learn more about our exclusive collaboration with The New York Public Library.

• Original artwork: manuscript draft of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Era: circa 1969
• Region: United States

Product Details

• Size: Ultra – 180 × 230 × 20 mm
• Interior: Lined
• Pages: 144 (72 sheets)
• Paper: 120 gsm acid-free cream laid paper
• Cover: Hardback
• Closure: Wrap closure with hidden magnets
• Binding: Smyth sewn – lies flat and stays durable
• Corners: Square
• Pouch: Memento pouch
• Design: Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Series: Embellished Manuscripts Collection
• Collection: Treasures of The New York Public Library
• Satin ribbon marker
• 100% recycled binder boards
• Decorative printed cover paper
• Endpaper with credit and copyright information as well as historical background for the original artwork
• Threaded stitching and glue, as needed
• Acid-free paper
• Memento pouch
• Weight: 578 g
• Product code: PB8184-5 | ISBN: 9781439781845

About Paperblanks

Paperblanks works with museums, libraries, galleries and artists around the world to faithfully reproduce remarkable artwork, historic bindings and treasured manuscripts. Every book is made to last, with binder boards crafted from 100% recycled materials, and the back endpaper tells the fascinating story behind the cover design and credits its creators.