2020 PANZ Book Design Awards: What takes a book from good to great?
Article by:
Aaron McKirdy
Date:
20 October 2020
If there has ever been a year to be thankful for beautiful books, 2020 would be it. The awards for Aotearoa New Zealand’s most beautiful books will be announced at the PANZ Book Design Awards on Thursday 22 October.
Good luck to all of the finalists (see below).
In mid-July, four judges with interests spanning book design to bookselling spent a day together in Auckland poring over the 2020 entries for the Publishers Association of New Zealand Book Design Awards.
Here, Judge Aaron McKirdy explains what it takes for a book to go from good to great . . .
I love books. I think kids books especially are awesome (well, the good ones are at least; the crap ones are a shameful waste of the world's resources).
Aside from all their usual goodness, I think they can be an incredible source of design inspiration. It’d be easy to think that kids' books are made just by smashing together a story with some illustrations but we’ve come a long way from the days of Dick and Jane. The design of kids’ books has lifted beyond Beatrix Potter-esque virtuous tales and junior Bible-like typesetting. So, what makes a good kids book now? And how do you judge if any book is well designed or not?
The bar is set high and half-decent illustrations alone won’t cut it – they’re a basic hygiene factor when it comes to creating something engaging for this most discerning audience.
A commonly-used and highly successful trick from way back is subversion. The surprising nature of someone or something breaking the rules, being a bit silly or naughty, keeps us guessing, pushes us and captures our imagination. Clearly there’s different degrees of this kind of attention-grabbing approach and it also needs to be leveled at the audience appropriately but great picture books use this well. Subversion also provides a chance to point out the obvious, challenge stereotypes and for humour to be used.
Oliver Jeffers is one author/illustrator who engages readers by creating narratives that subvert or challenge our reality. In Stuck, Floyd tries to solve his problem of getting a kite stuck in a tree in increasingly ludicrous ways. Instead of climbing a ladder, he throws it up to try and knock his kite down. Eventually the tree is full of a fire engine, whale and all manner of things (including the kitchen sink).
Other examples of subversion that my kids (and I) have loved are the How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell – a brilliant series that elevates the most unlikely underdog with a dorky sympathy for nature, to the ultimate leader and hero whose wisdom helps overthrow evil. The culture that values brutish strength is flipped on its head by cleverness and tenacity. It also has a seriously good girl-power message.
Mr Gum is another series that takes subversion and nonsense to a whole new level. David Tazzyman’s wild illustrative style matches the complete insanity of the world created by Andy Stanton. The disgustingness of Mr Gum and his revolting butcher friend Billy William the Third, is the perfect antidote to all things pink and glittery.
In all these examples, the cleverness of subversion is designed around the audience having a preconceived notion of how things should be. It creates those smile-in-your-mind moments.
In publication design, everything is a design decision and graphic design that breaks the norms can also impact hugely on a book's success. Typography is a key element in helping set the right vibe. So, it’s great to see so many books with such strong, well-crafted, beautifully considered typography in this year's PANZ Book Design Awards.
Pairing font choices, use of scale, colour and layout of type all contribute to create graphic impact. Crafting Aotearoa (finalist in the Penguin Random House New Zealand Award for Best Illustrated Book and PANZ Award for Best Typography categories) is a great example of this, utilising all of these design considerations to provide pace and visual interest.
In other cases, typography can be quirky, playfully leading the reader through the book as in Mophead (finalist in the Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children’s Book and Harper Collins Publishers Award for Best Cover categories). Selina Tusitala Marsh’s brave and intensely personal story about being bullied for being different is turned into a surprising, inspiring and visually rampant book that marries subversion with graphic impact.
These are all the things it would be great to see more of in book design as they are a major factor when deciding if a book’s design is a success.
It’s often fairly easy to judge if a book is well designed or not – the hard part is determining between a great, really great and an exceptional book. This can come down to interpretation and subjectivity. The care, attention to detail and design values a designer has put into creating a book – as well as how the design delivers on the idea – is usually what defines greatness.
Even though it can be clear what doesn’t make the cut, it’s always hard to make those decisions. As a designer, I know what goes into making a book. Sometimes there’s certain limitations that need to be overcome or demands that publishers make. At every point these design decisions will have an impact on if a book is well designed.
The process of judging any design award relies on the various experiences, insights and opinions of those invited to take part. There’s often a lot of debate and discussion to reach an agreed outcome – thankfully the jury I was part of this year for the PANZ Book Design Awards was able to easily agree on what equalled exceptional.
Overall, it was super rewarding and inspiring – especially to see the calibre of book design coming out of New Zealand. Publishing here is not only in good health but is world class.
The finalists of the PANZ Book Design Awards are:
PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE NEW ZEALAND AWARD FOR BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK
Crafting Aotearoa edited by Karl Chitham, Kolokesa Māhina-Tuai and Damian Skinner (Te Papa Press), Alan Deare, Area Design
Eileen Mayo: Nature, Art and Poetry by Peter Vangioni and Jillian Cassidy (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū), Peter Bray, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
One Year Drawn by Pete Bossley (Point Publishing Limited), Alan Deare, Area Design
Promises Promises: 80 years of wooing New Zealand voters by Claire Robinson (Massey University Press), Cover: Gideon Keith. Interior: Gideon Keith and Carly Johnson, Strategy Creative
Protest Tautohetohe by Stephanie Gibson, Matariki Williams and Puawai Cairns (Te Papa Press), Gideon Keith, Strategy Creative
We Are Here: An atlas of Aotearoa by Chris McDowall and Tim Denee (Massey University Press), Tim Denee
UPSTART PRESS AWARD FOR BEST NON-ILLUSTRATED BOOK
Finding Frances Hodgkins by Mary Kisler (Massey University Press), Kate Barraclough and Megan van Staden
Hell Fire Poetry Anthology 2017–18 edited by Andy Coyle (White Wolf Black Rabbit in association with Ilam Press), Aaron Beehre
Somewhere – Women's Stories of Migration edited by Lorna Jane Harvey (Beatnik), Sally Greer, Beatnik
The Spinoff Book edited by Toby Manhire, illustrations by Toby Morris (Penguin Random House NZ), Cover: Toby Morris. Interior: Katrina Duncan and Simon Chesterman
ALLEN & UNWIN AWARD FOR BEST COMMERCIAL BOOK FOR ADULTS
The Book of Knowing by Gwendoline Smith (Allen & Unwin New Zealand), Megan van Staden
The Brilliance of Birds by Skye Wishart and Edin Whitehead (Penguin Random House NZ), Cat Taylor and Rachel Clark
Garage Project: The Art of Beer by Garage Project (Penguin Random House NZ), Cover: Tim Gibson. Interior: Tim Gibson and Katrina Duncan
Little Books of Art (series 2) edited by Sarah Pepperle (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū), Aaron Beehre
The New Zealand Wars / Nga Pakanga o Aotearoa by Vincent O'Malley (Bridget Williams Books), Cover: Neil Pardington. Interior: Neil Pardington and Tina Delceg Neil Pardington Design
SCHOLASTIC NEW ZEALAND AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK
The Gobbledegook Book by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press), Vida Kelly, Vida and Luke Kelly Design
Māui's Taonga Tales edited by David Brechin-Smith (Te Papa Press), Jodi Wicksteed, Bolster Design
Mophead written and illustrated by Selina Tusitala Marsh (Auckland University Press), Vida Kelly, Vida and Luke Kelly Design
Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi by Ross Calman, Mark Derby, and Toby Morris (Lift Education), Simon Waterfield and Toby Morris
What Can I Do When I Grow Up? by Alain de Botton (The School of Life Press), Cover: Studio Katie Kerr and Tyla Mason. Interior: Studio Katie Kerr
Wildlife of Aotearoa written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Penguin Random House), Vida and Luke Kelly
EDIFY AWARD FOR BEST EDUCATIONAL BOOK OR SERIES – PRIMARY
New Zealand Nature Heroes by Gillian Candler (Potton & Burton), Floor van Lierop, This is Them
Ngāti Manawa Taniwha Stories, Big Books for Shared Reading by Lianne Bird (Huia Publishers, Pem Bird and Lianne Bird), Christine Ling, Huia Publishers
Te Kura i Monoa (Māori edition) | The Treasured Plume (English edition) by Brian Morris (Huia Publishers), Scott and Leonie Pearson, Visual Evolution
Toitoi: A Journal for Young Writers and Artists, Issues 16-19 and the Latin America and Southeast Asia Special Issues, with Teacher Support Materials edited by Charlotte Gibbs (Toitoi Media), Kelvin Soh and Sam Wieck of DDMMYY with Grace McFarlane and Vicki Birks, Toitoi Media Ltd
EDIFY AWARD FOR BEST EDUCATIONAL BOOK OR SERIES – SECONDARY / TERTIARY
Dragonflies and Damselflies of New Zealand by Milen Marinov and Mike Ashbee (Auckland University Press), Cover: Carolyn Lewis. Interior: Carolyn Lewis and Katrina Duncan
Exploring Society: Sociology for New Zealand Students, 4th Edition edited by Ruth McManus, Steve Matthewman, Chris Brickell, Gregor McLennan and Paul Spoonley (Auckland University Press), Cover: Kalee Jackson. Interior: Katrina Duncan
Hindsight: Pivotal Moments in New Zealand's History by Mandy Hager (OneTree House), Vasanti Unka
1010 PRINTING AWARD FOR BEST COOKBOOK
The Camping Cookbook by Sara Mutande and Andrea Lo Vetere (Beatnik Publishing), Andrea Lo Vetere and Sara Mutande
Pass It On by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan (self-published by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan), Jesssica Read in collaboration with Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan
The recipe by Josh Emett (Upstart Press in association with Blackwell & Ruth), Cameron Gibb, Blackwell & Ruth
Two Raw Sisters – Changing Perceptions of Plant Based Food by Rosa and Margo Flanagan (Bateman Books), Cheryl Smith, Macarn Design
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS AWARD FOR BEST COVER
Bullseye Bella by James T. Guthrie (Scholastic New Zealand), Leon Mackie
Hell Fire Poetry Anthology 2017–18 edited by Andy Coyle (White Wolf Black Rabbit in association with Ilam Press), Aaron Beehre
Louise Henderson: From Life edited by Felicity Milburn, Lara Strongman and Julia Waite with Christina Barton, Maria Lluïsa Faxedas, CK Stead and Linda Tyler (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū), Aaron Beehre
Mophead written and illustrated by Selina Tusitala Marsh (Auckland University Press), Vida Kelly, Vida and Luke Kelly Design
Pass It On by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan (self-published by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan), Jesssica Read in collaboration with Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan
PANZ AWARD FOR BEST TYPOGRAPHY
Crafting Aotearoa edited by Karl Chitham, Kolokesa Māhina-Tuai and Damian Skinner (Te Papa Press), Alan Deare, Area Design
Eileen Mayo: Nature, Art and Poetry by Peter Vangioni and Jillian Cassidy (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū), Peter Bray, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
Hell Fire Poetry Anthology 2017–18 edited by Andy Coyle (White Wolf Black Rabbit in association with Ilam Press), Aaron Beehre
One Year Drawn by Pete Bossley (Point Publishing Limited), Alan Deare, Area Design
Protest Tautohetohe by Stephanie Gibson, Matariki Williams and Puawai Cairns (Te Papa Press), Gideon Keith, Strategy Creative
We Are Here: An atlas of Aotearoa by Chris McDowall and Tim Denee (Massey University Press), Tim Denee
HACHETTE NEW ZEALAND EMERGING DESIGNER 2020 SHORTLIST
Christine Ling
Santa’s Worst Christmas / Te Kirihimete i te Whakakorea by Pania Tahau-Hodge and Bryony Walker (Huia Publishers)
Te Rua o te Taniwha by Brian Morris (Huia Publishers)
Awatea and the Kawa Gang by Fraser Smith (Huia Publishers)
Ngā Kōrero Taniwha o Ngāti Manawa | Big Books for Shared Reading by Lianne Bird (Huia Publishers)
Jessica Read
Pass It On by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan (self-published by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan)
THE JUDGING PANEL
Associate Professor Anna Brown is a tertiary design educator and researcher, who works with visual artists, curators, art historians and musicians investigating through form, materials and typography how the vehicle of the book can animate and amplify the content it contains. Her international research profile in book design includes a commission for New Zealand’s official Venice Biennale project in 2013. Anna is an Associate Professor in the College of Creative Arts where she is Director Toi Āria — Design for Public Good. For many years she ran her own design business with a specialisation in book design.
Aaron McKirdy is Design Director at Chrometoaster, a multidisciplinary design studio based in Wellington. He has over 20 years experience designing some of New Zealand’s most recognised brands. It was his love of typography and books, though, that saw him work alongside some of the UK’s leading authors such as Lauren Child, Neal Layton and Cressida Cowell at Hodder Children’s Books. Aaron received The Purple Pin for Public Good and collected Australia's Good Design Award supreme prize "Design of the Year" — the only time this has been awarded outside Australia — for the educational game, Game of Awesome.
Writer and reviewer Kiran Dass is the buyer for Time Out Bookstore in Auckland and reviews books regularly on RNZ and 95bFM. Her writing has appeared in NZ Listener, NZ Herald, The Spinoff, Pantograph Punch, Sunday magazine, Sunday Star-Times, Landfall and The Wire (UK). Dass has chaired sessions at the Auckland Writers Festival, Verb Wellington and WORD Christchurch. She co-hosts the books podcast Papercuts.
Nick Turzynski studied English Literature and Language at Aberdeen University before working in London as a journalist and in advertising, branding, packaging and magazine design. He moved to New Zealand with his family in 1995 where he worked initially at Cuisine magazine, and then as Art Director at Hodder Moa Beckett, when publishing upwards of 60 titles a year was not unusual. In 2003 he started his own company, redinc. Book Design, and enjoys working with a huge variety of authors and publishers. In 2008 he returned to writing with the publication of his first book, How to Eat a Huhu Grub, illustrated by his son Conrad.
