In October of this year, two British designers, Jon Gray and Jamie Keenan, announced they were organising an awards ceremony for book design. The awards aim to celebrate the work of British designers for books published in 2013, and the award nominations are being collected now.
There are ten categories: Children’s, Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mass Market, Literary Fiction, Crime/Thriller, Non-fiction, Series Design, Classic/Reissue and Women’s Fiction.
The awards will be announced in February of next year, but below are the books we think should win.
Children’s – Penguin
This lovely book is simple and only hints at the funny twists and turns inside.
Young Adult – The Isobel Journal
This novel is about a super-hip teenage girl in the north of England, and this cover is essentially a cute doodle on an Instagram photo. What’s more hip than that?
Sci–Fi/Fantasy – Doctor Sleep
Generally, sci-fi and fantasy novels feature intricate drawings of the imaginative worlds the stories inhabit. This cover is, by comparison, clean and minimal, with just a hint of mystery.
Mass Market – The Last Runaway
This book cover is outstanding because you get a sense of the time period, and the moon practically shines on the cover.
Literary Fiction – Bring Up the Bodies
Hilary Mantel’s book about the Cromwell era has a suitably menacing cover, a feel created with just a shackled silhouette and a wood effect.
Crime/Thriller – Gone Girl
Technically, this is the American cover, so it wouldn’t be eligible for the awards. But it is brilliant: wonderfully evocative of the mood of the book, without giving a single thing away.
Non-fiction – Great British Bake-off: Everyday
This is not an artistic cover. It is bright and cheerful, and just try not to grin when you look at it.
Series – Unravel Me (Shatter Me series)
This series is about a girl’s fight for love and against a dystopian society. The book cover is eerie and chilling, just like the atmosphere of the story.
Classic/Reissue – Asterix and the Picts
Again, we’re not sure if this would be eligible, but it is wonderfully nostalgic, isn’t it? And that surely is what reissues are all about, right?
Women’s Fiction – Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe
This book could not be cuter: it’s title is sweet, and the story even includes recipes. So it is only right that its cover is just as adorable.
These are our picks, but what book covers do you think deserve to win?
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