HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover 2019
Winner
Designer: Anna Brown
Title: Wanted: The search for the modernist murals of E. Mervyn Taylor
Publisher: Massey University Press
Format: 250 x 210mm, 256mm, hardback. Cloth spine with gold blocking plus gloss artpaper panels on the case boards.
Typography: Titles/ display for chapters: Festival TitlingW00 39.5pt
Judges’ Comments “A dedicated production with a lovely debossed, foiled title, taped spine, endpaper illustrations and ribbons. There’s a tension between title lock-up and grid of the tiled-image that wasn’t entirely successful.”
“The Wanted poster subverted as in this case, the title becomes an instruction and a prompt on a cover full of designer’s production choice dilemmas. The process, detail and material of the making and later uncovering of the murals of the subject is hinted at well in the cover. The dynamic, if slightly chaotic or busy crop, of the images on front and back, interrupted and perhaps linked by the red bookcloth spine choice. The pop of gold application to the title running at right angles to horizontal captures tensions constructively to add interest across the visible frames. The attention to detail of the Festival of Britain 1950 typeface and drawing style of the mural details capture the era of the book’s story very well.”
“I love it. A complete package. The gold is a nice restrained touch and not tacky. Lovely rich maroon. Explores 12 murals that were thought to be lost, for major new government and civic buildings.”
“The tightly cropped cover image invites investigation – the interplay between image and tiled surface – there’s a curiosity of what IS image? – flames – planes – palms… The fabric binding and gold foil add richness, and I love how the flames lead the eye to “Wanted” A unique abstract cover, that really stands out.”
