Welcome back to Covers We Love: Volume 3, which is the place where we celebrate the most exciting and innovative book covers of the past few months, giving credit to the artists, designers and illustrators who make our books look lovely…Here are my highlights.
First up is a stunning debut novel by Sanam Mahlouji . This stylish cover is designed by Ola Galewicz for 4th Estate. The cover combines beautiful colors with superb illustration, the typography is solid and interesting. The cover has a real Iranian vibe, which is just as well, as that’s where the novel’s protagonists are from.
I adore Jon Gray’s book designs; he always does such interesting things with typography. His work on Zadie Smith’s covers is iconic, and his cover designs for JD Salinger’s books is classic and timeless. His design for Han Kang’s ‘We do not Part’ is exceptional. The type rests to the left of center, against the spine, and is entwined in a yellow circular thread, with an image of an island inside. It’s an enigmatic cover.
The Boy from the Sea is another debut novel, by Garrett Carr. The cover is designed by Siobhan Hooper for Picador. Quirky typography sits over a beautiful photographic image of a small boy standing on a wall, surrounded by seagulls. The cover reflects the novel’s theme, which is about a small boy who’s found on the beach of a close-knit fishing village in Donegal.
Séan Farrell’s excellent debut ‘Frogs for Watchdogs’, published by New Island, is designed by the hugely talented Jack Smyth, who continues to make innovative book covers. The novel is set on a farm in County Meath, and is told from the point of view of a child. The cover features a young boy perched on a farm gate; the title of the book surrounds the central image.
Finally, the cover for ‘The Wardrobe Department’ by Elaine Garvey is designed by Rafaela Romaya for Cannongate Books. This is a beautiful cover which features a painting by Ruth Shively. The cover has a slightly wistful, melancholic feel. Garvey’s novel is about a woman who leaves Ireland to live in London, but who is caught between her past life and her present one.
