Penguin’s 2024 Cover Design Award winners are creative perfection

The winners are in for Penguin’s Cover Design Award 2024, celebrating the colourful, creative and diverse world of book publishing. Entrants were given the choice of three different Penguin publications to redesign: City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Atomic Habits by James Clear. The brief? Make an outstanding piece of cover art that blows away the competition. The prize? A coveted six-month mentorship with a member of the Penguin Art Department.

While I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, this is one of those rare occasions where it’s what’s on the outside that counts. Embracing whimsical illustration, retro-inspired design and bold graphics, each winner showcases the diversity of book cover design across the genres.

Adult Fiction Cover Design Award Winners

1st place: Cadi Rhind

2nd place: Max Bicknell

3rd place: Rebekah Sinclair

Before the hit Amazon Prime series, Daisy Jones and the Six was first and foremost a New York Times Bestseller by Taylor Jenkins-Reid. Chronicling the tale of an iconic rock band, the book echoes a hazy ’70s aesthetic that’s reflected in the winning designs. With its sleek retro appeal, winner Cadi Rhind’s cover expertly blends ’70s typography with more contemporary design beats, giving the cover a fresh yet classic feel.

On the inspiration behind her design, Cadi shares: “Growing up, car journeys were soundtracked by my father’s love for 1970s Californian music. This influenced my love for that era and its creative world of album artworks and gig posters. This, paired with my love for vintage typography and design are my inspirations.”

Children’s Cover Design Award Winners

1st place: Charlotte Jennings

2nd place: Evan Connolly

3rd place: Karin Keratova

Briefed with redesigning the whimsical children’s novel City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, entrants were asked to create a cover that would engage with the 9-11-year-old demographic. Balancing the key themes of magic, secrets and colonial history, the winning cover by Charlotte Jennings is a stunning homage to the story, embracing powerful imagery with rich, colourful illustrations.

“I focused on using colour and shape language to convey the essence of Chompa’s journey from beginning to end, using a spiral composition to guide the viewer’s eye around the cover,” Charlotte shares. “I used orange hues to depict the warmth and familiarity of India along with its connection to Chompa’s fiery magic,” she adds.

Adult Non-Fiction Cover Design Award Winners

1st place: George Griffiths

2nd place: James Gregory

3rd place: Craig Ferdinando

Atomic Habits by James Clear is a nonfiction bestseller about how small tweaks can make a big impact on your life. The winning covers capture the book’s inspirational tone and accessible readability in a visually engaging way that strikes interest and intrigue. Winner George Griffiths embodies the book’s multilayered narrative using collage and bold minimalist design to create a sense of authoritative style.

Discussing the inspiration behind his design, George explained: “My book concept is based upon this combination of small, different habits, building and layering together to have a larger effect than they would on their own.” Taking a bespoke approach, George adds “I created my design by taking small rips of cardboard, paper and other physical materials, and piecing them together to form the words ‘Atomic Habits’ – just as small habits piece together to transform your life.”

For more stunning book cover inspiration check out our interview with picture book creator Flavia Z. Drago. If you’ve been inspired to create your own book cover art, take a look at our guide to the best drawing tablets or best sketchbooks.