Allen & Unwin
Award for Best Commercial Book for Adults 2024
Finalist
Designer: Peter Alsop; Gary Stewart (The Gas Project)
Title: Sure to Rise: The Edmonds Story
Publisher: Canterbury University Press
Format: 250 x 210mm, 304pp plus gatefolds. Quarter bound cover with debossed title. Cloth binding to symbolise the longevity of the brand; debossing in creamy tones for warmth and to evoke ‘creaminess’ in baking; use of orange ribbon marker to commemorate the orange ribbon cut by Jane Edmonds on the occasion of Edmonds’ jubilee.
Typography: Text: 8.5/12.5 Feijoa, headings and captions – Qanelas.
Cover: Prohibition and Qanelas. Fonts were chosen to link to the iconic baking powder can and decades of cookbook designs.
“The brief was to capture the warm nostalgia associated with Edmonds’ products and cookbooks, recognising their design legacy. Part history book, part family album, part design gallery, the design of Sure to Rise was a distillation of 100 years of Edmonds’ own aesthetic. The key challenge was to optimise the chemistry between old and new worlds, integrating various graphic styles across multiple decades. The colour palette was taken from early print and packaging designs, the blue captions a nod to cookbooks of the 70s and 80s. The sense of apotheosis evoked by the cover reinforces the success story introduced in the title.”
Judges’ comments This book is a homage to one of Aotearoa’s most iconic brands, weaving together a century of visual culture with care. The design balances nostalgia and modernity, pulling on the heartstrings of its audience while presenting a cohesive and stimulating gallery of memories. The vibrant imagery and well-set text are managed with skill, ensuring that each element contributes to the overall narrative. Thoughtful details, such as the cloth binding and the evocative colour palette are reminiscent of the brand’s baking legacy, and enhance the book’s tactile and visual appeal.
