GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER
Penguin Book Cover
The book discusses the experiences of twelve women of colour in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the cover aims to blend different cultures together, symbolizing the diversity and unity of these women’s stories.
This brief aims was to redesign the Penguin book cover of ‘Girl, Woman, Other,’ a novel about modern Britain and womanhood written by Bernadine Evaristo, published in 2019. The novel tells the story of twelve characters of all ages and across decades, describing the lives of Black British families from diverse backgrounds and their highs and lows in British society. The book touches on intergenerational problems, cultural heritage, sexual identity, and much more. The absence of punctuation in the book is a stylistic choice that keeps the narration modern and dynamic. Therefore the cover tries to convey fluidity with the choice of type
Based on the research about the book and other book covers of the same genre, the initial ideas were focused on the concepts of identity, pride, and cultural mix. The pattern designs aimed to incorporate British elements into traditional African textiles. After receiving feedback, the cover evolved by combining the best concepts.
The yellow dotted line was retained and expanded in size, as it symbolically represented the theme of the journey depicted in the book. The text designed with braids was also preserved but modified to enhance its fluidity, aligning with the writing style of the book that lacks punctuation. The yellow background was deemed suitable and fitting for the book’s concept. While the use of a silhouette was appreciated, it was recommended to minimize its visibility, allowing for recognition of the neck and chin while introducing a certain level of abstraction.
