MEDIA RELEASE – Thursday 20 July 2017
Tonight at the PANZ Book Design Awards when a book really is judged by its cover – and its design – Cazador: game, offal and the rest, written by Dariush Lolaiy and Rebecca Smidt, designed by Tim Donaldson and Amanda Gaskin of Sea Change Studio, takes home the Gerard Reid Award for Best Book.
The judging panel said of Cazador:
This cookbook as brave, classic, yet excitingly contemporary. Cazador’s exquisite production values are immediately seductive. It is beautiful to hold and look at. The blood linen cover, exposed ‘frenched-like’ binding (that opens flat for function), arresting artful photography, an interestingly paced layout that never gets pedestrian, knife-like typography that also plays homage to the 1980’s heritage of its restaurant home. The outward beauty is sensitively matched by a depth of thought that reveals the soul of Cazador (the restaurant) and its story. An outstanding package.
Cazador’s design lifts it above simply a cookbook, it breaks its genre and becomes something of its own, artful and unique.
Cazador was also shortlisted for Best Typography and winner of Best Cover and Best Cook Book categories.
Nine awards were presented:
BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK (sponsored by Penguin Random House New Zealand)
Beach Life by Douglas Lloyd Jenkins (Penguin Random House) designed by Alan Deare, Area Design
BEST NON-ILLUSTRATED BOOK (sponsored by Upstart Press)
Extraordinary Anywhere: Essays on Place from Aotearoa New Zealand edited by Ingrid Horrocks & Cherie Lacey (Victoria University Press) designed by Jo Bailey & Anna Brown
BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK (sponsored by Scholastic New Zealand)
Annual edited by Kate De Goldi and Susan Paris (Gecko Press) designed by Spencer Levine
BEST EDUCATIONAL BOOK (sponsored by Edify)
Mātaki Mai Ana Te Ao: Te Tawhio Pihirei o 1981 by Rachael Tuwhangai, Hone Morris and Pania Tahau-Hodges (HUIA) designed by Tim Hansen, Fay & Walter
BEST COOKBOOK (sponsored by 1010 Printing)
Cazador — game, offal and the rest by Dariush Lolaiy and Rebecca Smidt (Cazador) designed by Tim Donaldson & Amanda Gaskin, Sea Change Studio
BEST TYPOGRAPHY (sponsored by Mary Egan Publishing)
Annual edited by Kate De Goldi and Susan Paris (Gecko Press) designed by Spencer Levine.
AWARD FOR BEST COVER (sponsored by HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand)
Cazador — game, offal and the rest by Dariush Lolaiy and Rebecca Smidt (Cazador) designed by Tim Donaldson & Amanda Gaskin, Sea Change Studio
GERARD REID AWARD FOR BEST BOOK SPONSORED BY NIELSEN BOOK
Cazador — game, offal and the rest by Dariush Lolaiy and Rebecca Smidt (Cazador) designed by Tim Donaldson & Amanda Gaskin, Sea Change Studio
One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the Allen & Unwin Young Designer of the Year Award. This year it was presented to Auckland designer, Sam Bunny. The judges said:
‘Sam Bunny’s portfolio showcases a wonderful range of designs across a number of categories. His work is consistently measured, visually enticing and exhibits a good understanding of the subject matter.
From the substantial non-fiction The Great Kiwi Pub Crawl, to the haunting monochromatic The Salted Air, to the playful design of Grandad’s Wheelies and the mysterious but impactful cover illustration of The Impossible Boy, all his work hits the right tone and is well executed. Bunny seems to have fun with his designs and his work effectively serves the purpose of making you want to read these titles.’
This year, for the first time, there was a People’s Choice Award. Voting took place at last night’s awards ceremony in Auckland where attendees had the opportunity to compare the awards finalists. The inaugural Hachette New Zealand People’s Choice Award was presented to Spencer Levine for Annual, published by Gecko Press, the book that received the most votes.
The judging panel was convened by award-winning illustrator and book designer, Rowan Somerset, supported by graphic designer, David Coventon; graphic designer and book designer, Anna Egan-Reid and leading business commentator, journalist and publisher, Vincent Heeringa.
The PANZ Book Design Awards are administered by the Publishers Association of New Zealand. The Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) established the PANZ Book Design Awards to promote excellence in, and provide recognition for, the best book design in New Zealand.
