Penguin: Brief Analysis

Penguin Random House Book Cover Competition:
Books:
Wonder by R.J. Palaco (Children's) 

Intro:

My name is August.

I won’t describe what I look like.

Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

With the nature of friendship, tenacity, fear and, most importantly, kindness at its heart Wonder explores fundamental truths about how people behave and how they should behave. 

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Intro:
'When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire – to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marched into his life and he had to choose between the future and the past.'

Chosen Book:

The Establishment by Owen Jones (Adult non-fiction)
Intro :
Behind our democracy lurks a powerful but unaccountable network of people who wield massive power and reap huge profits in the process. In exposing this shadowy and complex system that dominates our lives, Owen Jones sets out on a journey into the heart of our Establishment, from the lobbies of Westminster to the newsrooms, boardrooms and trading rooms of Fleet Street and the City. Exposing the revolving doors that link these worlds, and the vested interests that bind them together, Jones shows how, in claiming to work on our behalf, the people at the top are doing precisely the opposite. In fact, they represent the biggest threat to our democracy today - and it is time they were challenged.

The Brief:
'Published just before the 2015 general election, the arguments and vision put forward by Owen Jones in this book continue to play an important part of the political discussion and debate today. Part historical overview, part deconstruction of the way Britain is managed, the cover design should reframe the book to continue to build its reach over the next ten years. It should aim to appeal to a new audience who are not only interested in understanding the spectrum of political ideas but also want to challenge the status quo.  At the same time, it should feel fresh, accessible and an important read whatever your political persuasion.'  

Upon reading the brief the key areas to consider are that the cover needs to apply to those interested in politics do matter who they support, but also to interest those who may not no much about politics but are interested in change and challenging the norm. However a key element with this will be balancing the need for the cover to look fresh and interesting but also important, maintaining the link to the content inside. 

What are the judges looking for:

• have an imaginative concept
• be an original interpretation of the brief
• be competently executed with strong use of typography
• appeal to the broadest possible audience for the book
• show a good understanding of the marketplace
• have a point of difference from other books that it will be competing against in the market
• be able to sit on the shelves of a supermarket or ebook store as easily as it sits on those of more traditional bookshops