Penguin Random Home unveils 2020 Scholar Design Award winners
Chi Park, first place at the Children's Cover Award
For this year's edition of the annual Student Design Award, Penguin Random House UK invited students to produce a new cover for three well-known books: The Night Manager by John le Carré, Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything and the children's book Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian.
The Adult Fiction Cover Award was won by Glasgow School of Art student Annie Kobyluch (and Gradwatch selection), whose simple but eye-catching design for Le Carre's spy novel The Night Manager provided a “fresh take on such an established author and such Genre ”portrayed Pinguin General Books Art Director Richard Bravery.
"When I first started my design, I knew I wanted the gun to be the focus," Kobyluch said of the cover, which also features hotel motifs in the form of a "do not disturb" sign hanging on the barrel of the gun . "My color palette has been purposely simplified to give the image more strength and not distract the visual concept."
Annie Kobyluch, first place in the Adult Fiction Cover Award
Central Saint Martins student Megan Glover won the Adult Non-Fiction Cover Award for her playful design for A Brief History of Almost Everything. Glover, who was praised for her fun, confident, and light-hearted approach, took inspiration from Bryson's obscure information scattered throughout the book.
“As I read the book, I noticed the analogies and facts that Bryson used to explain complex theories and findings. When Bryson mentioned that bananas share more than half of their DNA with humans, I knew that was what I wanted to focus on, ”says Glover. “My design is not what you would expect a science book to be on the cover. It's a banana. But because of its simplicity, I was able to turn it into a strange abstract piece that makes the potential reader more and more curious. "
Megan Glover, first place in the Adult Non-Fiction Cover Award
The Children's Cover Award was won by Chi Park, a graduate of Kingston University, who reinterpreted the cover of Goodnight Mister Tom in a moving, painterly style. “In this cover design, watercolor paint is used to set a particularly restrained tone that is reminiscent of the dark wartime while conveying warm nostalgia through the texture. The characters enter a room where various visual elements of the narrative indicate what is ahead of them and what audience they are following. "
Penguin Random House UK Children's art director Anna Billson praised the color palette, which balances “warmth” with “sadness and pain”. Other judges recognized the attraction to children thanks to childlike touch. The book's author, Michelle Magorian, added that she “is thrilled, and so is Tom and William, that this design award exists to highlight the talent of these wonderful artists. It also reminds us that there is more than one way to tell a story. "
Check out all of the winners and runners up here