SB3 - Rationale

‘Evocative, entertaining, sexy and

funny; but then Murakami is one of the

best writers around’

- Time Out

Haruki Murakami’s books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally. His writing is vivid, dazzling, experimental and imaginative and your cover design should reflect this. Try to design a new cover for a new generation of readers, avoiding the obvious clichés. Originality is key. The Judges are looking for a striking cover design that is well executed, has an imaginative concept and clearly places the book for its market. While all elements of the cover (front, back and spine) need to work together, remember that the front cover has to be able to work on its own, and to be eye-catching within a crowded bookshop setting as well as on screen at a reduced size for digital retailers.

The winning design will need to:
- 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