A story worth sharing
Plato believed that ideas examined honestly and shared generously can change how people see the world.
The work of Platonic Press is done in that spirit: openly, with the genuine hope that ideas find the people who need them.
Platonic Press originated in Cambridge, where Minco van der Weide sat down with his former philosophy professor, a man with a rare talent for making ideas feel urgent, and pointed a camera at him. The plan was modest: to share a passion for philosophy and create something a few people might find inspiring. However, the project quickly grew beyond Minco’s estimations and soon, he was having encounters with some of the most significant thinkers alive. Early readers saw the same value in the project Minco presented, and from the resulting interviews our first volume was born: Portraits of Philosophers.
Platonic books combine long-form conversations with photographic portraits of figures working at the cutting-edge of thought, craft, and culture. We take the coffee table book and fill its pages with the depth and nuance our interviewees deserve.
These are not just beautiful on bookshelves; they are built to inspire, educate, and challenge their readers. Written from a single, unbroken encounter between photographer and subject, each volume is carefully crafted by our small team to reveal the hidden lives behind the portraits. Every volume is produced through responsible, local supply chains. Our books are monuments to the lifetimes that specialists spend learning, and we hope to offer the opportunity to pass on their knowledge through interesting, unique conversations and stories. Some knowledge is too good to lose.