P E N G U I N D E S I G N C O M P E T I T I O N 2 0 1 5 E N T R I E S
The Penguin Random House Design Award is an opportunity for students on an Art or Design course at HND or degree level to engage in design for publishing during their studies and to experience real cover and page layout design briefs first-hand.
Adult Fiction Cover Award: "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" - Jeanette Winterson
Children's Cover Award: "Carrie's War" - Nina Bawden
I had read Oranges as one of my English Literature A Level texts, as we were exploring the theme Transgression, so I began this project feeling I had a good grasp of what I wanted to convey through my cover. I seemed to remember a moment when the protagonist is sitting on the stairs listening to her parents talking about her - this may not have been iterated in the text, but it was a strong image that stuck in my head since reading it. I used this as a jumping off point, and began looking into the symbolism of staircases. I found that they can represent a pathway or opportunity, whilst they also suggest assention or descention depending on the viewpoint. When looking at this from a religious perpective, it is apparent that the transgression of Jean, the protagonist, sets her on a path that is frowned upon in her community. I tried to reflect this uncertainty in my illustration.
Carrie's War is a 9-12 novel set in wartime Wales and addresses such issues as childhood, superstition, and, above all, guilt. It was interesting to see that almost all previous covers had depicted a massive spoiler in the plot, so this was something that I wanted to avoid at all costs. By using the skull rather than imagery of a fire, I've hoped to suggest the protagonist Carrie's guilt and to build intrigue, rather than give the entire plot away in one fell swoop.
