Penguin - The Original 10.
![thedailywhat:
Jack Kerouac Original of the Day: Jack Kerouac began shopping his second novel, On the Road, in 1952, complete with a cover he designed himself. Publisher A.A. Wyn received the sketch with a little note typed at the very top:
Dear Mr. Wyn:
I submit this as my idea of an appealing commercial cover expressive of the book. The cover for The Town and the City was as dull as the title and the photo backflap. Wilbur Pippin’s photo of me is the perfect On the Road one … it will look like the face of the figure below.
J.K.
Wyn rejected both the novel and the cover idea. On the Road finally was published in 1957 and went on to become a bestseller with all manner of covers – save Kerouac’s original idea.
[explore]
First published in 1957 by Viking, we might add!](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8ci52yrJV1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg)
Jack Kerouac Original of the Day: Jack Kerouac began shopping his second novel, On the Road, in 1952, complete with a cover he designed himself. Publisher A.A. Wyn received the sketch with a little note typed at the very top:
Dear Mr. Wyn:
I submit this as my idea of an appealing commercial cover expressive of the book. The cover for The Town and the City was as dull as the title and the photo backflap. Wilbur Pippin’s photo of me is the perfect On the Road one … it will look like the face of the figure below.
J.K.
Wyn rejected both the novel and the cover idea. On the Road finally was published in 1957 and went on to become a bestseller with all manner of covers – save Kerouac’s original idea.
[explore]
First published in 1957 by Viking, we might add!
Hey, did you know that we did an interview with Coralie Bickford-Smith? Because we did! Sonya Cheuse, a publicity manager here, had this to say about her talk with Coralie:
Last fall I was lucky enough to meet one of my favorite colleagues, Penguin UK designer Coralie Bickford-Smith, while she was in New York promoting her latest designs for Penguin Classics.
In the decade she has worked at Penguin, Coralie has become a design rock star. Her brilliant covers for the Penguin Hardcover Classics, The Penguin Great Foods, and the Penguin Hardcover Fitzgeralds series have inspired new readers to pick up Penguin Classics and old fans to reread their favorites. These titles, beautifully presented in exquisite packages have also become must-haves for every design-lover’s home.
I have been working with Coralie for several years now and her work still astounds me—from her exciting graphic choices to her carefully chosen colors to her unique, intuitive aesthetic. I interviewed her in the Penguin Media Suite here at 375 Hudson Street—partially as her publicist, partially as a fan (well, mostly as a fan) and decided to ask her many of the questions I’ve had about her work over the years.
If you love gorgeous books just as much as I do, I hope you’ll enjoy our chat. We discuss Coralie’s inspirations (Art Deco, Victorian Wallpaper, a chair in her home covered in a “Safari Swirl” print), the process of actually producing her covers (from first ideas to finished product), her thoughts on books as objects, and her take on how e-books meet with book design.
Enjoy!
Perfect design inspiration for Wednesday roadblocks!
Rejected Covers: Rachell Sumpter Discusses Designing Penguin Threads Book Cover 'The Wizard Of Oz'
Rachell Sumpter, designer of the newest set of Penguin Threads, discusses her inspirations and frustrations.
The Wizard of Oz, The Wind in the Willows, and Little Women went on sale yesterday and oh boy are they beautiful!
