Penguin - Competition Brief

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Penguin -

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Spend a season on the river bank and take a walk on the wild side...

Spring is in the air and Mole has found a wonderful new world. There's boating with Ratty, a feast with Badger and high jinx on the open road with that reckless ruffian, Mr Toad of Toad Hall. The four become the firmest of friends, but after Toad's latest escapade, can they join together and beat the wretched weasels?

First published in 1908, and inhabited by anthropomorphic creatures with quintessential English charm, The Wind in the Willows possesses a wonderful fascination for children of all ages.

Students are invited to design a whole new cover look for The Wind in the Willows, in order to reinvent this classic for a new generation of readers, encouraging children (and adults) to revisit it time and time again, and ensuring that it remains an integral part of childhood.

Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy as supplied and be designed to the specified design template (cut-down B format, 178mm high x 129mm wide, spine 20.6mm wide).

What the judges are looking for:

We are looking for a striking cover design that is well executed, has an imaginative concept and clearly places the book for its market of both children (to pick up and buy for themselves) and adults (to buy for children). While all elements of the jacket need to work together as a cohesive whole, remember that the front cover needs to be able to work on its own and be eye-catching within a crowded bookshop setting. It also needs to be able to work on screen for digital retailers such as Amazon.

The winning design will need to:

·       have an imaginative concept and 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 the many other book covers it is competing against

·       be able to sit on the shelves of a supermarket or ebook store as easily as it sits on those of more traditional bookshops such as Waterstones