Judged by their covers: Two students reach the finals of the Penguin Random House Design Awards

Two students at the University of Northampton had the opportunity to design brand new covers for two well-known books, which has resulted in them both being shortlisted for a prestigious prize.

Andrew Bremmler, 22, and Gizem Kaymanli, 21, are both in the final year of the BA (Hons) Graphic Communications course and were delighted and proud to have reached the finals of the Penguin Random House Design Award.

Andrew’s interpretation of A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was shortlisted in the Adult Fiction category and he was inspired to use the graphic scenes in the book, as well as the internal conflict of the individual’s mind to create his cover.

He said: “The central focus of the cover is a knife incorporating a face within the handle designed in the style of Gestalt. The surrounding text has been broken up to reflect the fractured nature of the main character within the story.

“I have enjoyed having the opportunity to work on a book cover for such a well-known and high profile publishing company like Penguin. It’s been challenging pushing myself to design outside of my comfort zone, but I have created a visually appealing image which I am very proud of.”

Gizem’s work has been shortlisted in the Adult Non-Fiction category and she created a new cover for Caitlin Moran’s book, How to Be a Woman, presented in a non-cliché way to engage the reader for longer.

She said: “I have enjoyed seeing how much my idea has developed from my initial musings and was able to develop it with the feedback I received from Penguin. It made me realise that there is always something that can be changed in my designs and to not take criticism personally.”

Andrew’s and Gizem’s work will be featured along with other students from a variety of courses from the School of The Arts at this year’s Degree Show. This will be running from Saturday 11 to Sunday 19 June at the University’s Avenue Campus.