The best of New Zealand’s book designs come under tight scrutiny but the shortlist has been announced

11 Jun 2018

It appears it’s not just the cover a book is judged on as the judges announce the finalists in the 2018 PANZ Book Design Awards. The weight of stock, the binding and the smell of the entries all came under close scrutiny from the judging panel.

‘The judges all did their fair share of lifting, sniffing, flipping and pondering the multifaceted design decisions,’ says the convening judge, David Coventon.  ‘From paper stocks to spines and binding, print finish, typographic tendencies and idiosyncrasies, we were impressed by the high-quality outcomes.’

From some 110 entries, the judges have whittled out a finalist list of 33 books across eight categories:

Penguin Random House New Zealand Award for Best Illustrated Book

• Aberhart Starts Here by Lara Strongman with Laurence Aberhart (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhet?), designed by Peter Bray, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhet?
• The Domain by Gavin Hipkins (Victoria University Press), designed by Philip Kelly
• the merrier by Miranda Parkes, Sharon Dell, Robyn Notman, Sophie Bannan, Andrea Bell (Hocken Collections, Uare Taoka o H?kena, University of Otago), designed by Daniel Blackball Alexander
• New China Eyewitness: Roger Duff, Rewi Alley and the art of museum diplomacy edited by James Beattie and Richard Bullen (Canterbury University Press), designed by Aaron Beehre
• Strangers Arrive by Leonard Bell (Auckland University Press), cover design by Spencer Levine, interior design by Katrina Duncan

Upstart Press Award for Best Non-illustrated Book

• Bird Words edited by Elisabeth Easther (Penguin Random House), designed by Rachel Clark
• Blood Ties: New and selected poems 1963-2016 by Jeffrey Paparoa Holman (Canterbury University Press), cover design by Aaron Beehre, interior design by Aaron Beehre and Gemma Banks, Ilam Press
• Edmund Hillary: A biography by Michael Gill (Potton & Burton), designed by Lisa Noble and Annabelle Archibald, Paperminx
• A Moral Truth edited by James Hollings (Massey University Press), cover design by Gideon Keith, Strategy Creative, interior design by Gideon Keith and Carla Sy
• Selected Poems: Ian Wedde by Ian Wedde (Auckland University Press), cover design by Philip Kelly, interior design by Katrina Duncan
• Allen Curnow Biography and Poems Slipcase edition by Terry Sturm. Edited by Linda Cassels, Elizabeth Caffin and Terry Sturm (Auckland University Press), cover design by Sarah Maxey, interior design by Katrina Duncan
• Tears of Rangi by Anne Salmond (Auckland University Press), cover design by Keely O’Shannessy, interior design by Katrina Duncan

Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children’s Book

• Annual 2 edited by Kate De Goldi and Susan Paris (Annual Ink), cover design by Toby Morris, interior design by Gary Stewart, The Gas Project
• Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story by Gavin Bishop (Penguin Random House), design by Vida and Luke Kelly, Kelly Design, illustrations by Gavin Bishop
• Helper and Helper by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Gecko Press), designed by Vida Kelly
• The Longest Breakfast by Jenny Bornholdt, illustrated by Sarah Wilkins (Gecko Press), designed by Vida Kelly
• Summer Days by multiple contributors (Penguin Random House), designed by Jenny Haslimeier, cover illustration by Vasanti Unka, Vasanti Unka Design
• Tu Meke T??! by Malcolm Clarke (Little Love), designed by Anna Egan-Reid, Little Love, illustrations by FLOX AKA Hayley King

Edify Award for Best Educational Book

• Bright Ideas for Young Minds by multiple contributors (Mary Egan Publishing), designed by Anna Egan-Reid, Mary Egan Publishing
• How to Mend a Kea by Janet Hunt (Massey University Press), designed by Janet Hunt
• The New Zealand Art Activity Book: new edition by Helen Lloyd (Te Papa Press), designed by Kate Barraclough, Kate Frances Design
• New Zealand’s Great White Sharks: How science is revealing their secrets by Alison Ballance (Potton & Burton), designed by Chris Chisnall and Robbie Burton
• T?rangawaewae edited by Trudie Cain, Ella Kahu and Richard Shaw (Massey University Press), designed by Kate Barraclough, Kate Frances Design

1010 Printing Award for Best Cookbook

• Angelo’s Wild Kitchen by Angelo Georgalli (Beatnik Publishing), designed by Sally Greer, Beatnik Publishing
• Eat Up New Zealand by Al Brown (Allen & Unwin New Zealand), designed by Gary Stewart, The Gas Project
• The Forest Cantina HOME by Unna Burch (Unna Burch), cover design by Unna Burch and Bonny Beattie, interior design by Amanda Peirson
• Homegrown Kitchen: Everyday recipes for eating well by Nicola Galloway (Potton & Burton), designed by Lisa Noble and Annabelle Archibald, Paperminx
• Little Bird Goodness by Megan May (Penguin Random House), designed by Kate Barraclough, Kate Frances Design

HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover

• Aberhart Starts Here by Lara Strongman with Laurence Aberhart  (Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhet?), designed by Peter Bray, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhet?
• Baby by Annaleese Jochems (Victoria University Press), designed by Keely O’Shannessy
• Black Marks on the White Page edited by Witi Ihimaera and Tina Makereti (Penguin Random House), designed by Kate Barraclough, Kate Frances Design, cover illustrator James Ormsby
• Huia Come Home by J. Ruka (Oati), designed by Alistair McCready
• The Long Dream of Waking: New perspectives on Len Lye edited by Paul Brobbel, Wystan Curnow and Roger Horrocks (Canterbury University Press), designed by Alice Bonifant
• New China Eyewitness: Roger Duff, Rewi Alley and the art of museum diplomacy edited by James Beattie and Richard Bullen (Canterbury University Press), designed by Aaron Beehre
• Salt Picnic by Patrick Evans (Victoria University Press), designed by Keely O’Shannessy

Mary Egan Publishing Award for Best Typography

• Huia Come Home by J. Ruka (Oati), designed by Alistair McCready
• A Moral Truth edited by James Hollings (Massey University Press), cover design by Gideon Keith, Strategy Creative, interior design by Gideon Keith and Carla Sy
• New China Eyewitness: Roger Duff, Rewi Alley and the art of museum diplomacy edited by James Beattie and Richard Bullen (Canterbury University Press), designed by Aaron Beehre
• Allen Curnow Biography and Poems Slipcase edition by Terry Sturm. Edited by Linda Cassels, Elizabeth Caffin and Terry Sturm (Auckland University Press), cover design by Sarah Maxey, interior design by Katrina Duncan
• Tears of Rangi by Anne Salmond (Auckland University Press), cover design by Keely O’Shannessy, interior design by Katrina Duncan
• Ten x Ten: Art at Te Papa edited by Athol McCredie (Te Papa Press), designed by Gideon Keith, Strategy Creative

Allen & Unwin Young Designer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Rachel Clark for The Art of Simple by Eleanor Ozich (Penguin Random House), Bird Words edited by Elisabeth Easther (Penguin Random House), Heloise by Mandy Hager (Penguin Random House), Hideaways by Hilary Ngan Kee and photography by Sam Stuchbury

Emma Jakicevich for Behind Bars – Real-life stories from inside New Zealand’s prisons by Anna Leask (Penguin Random House), Black Barn: portrait of a place by Gregory O’Brien & Jenny Bornholdt with photography by Brian Culy (Penguin Random House), Colours for Kiwi Babies/ Counting for Kiwi Babies by Matthew Williamson (Penguin Random House), Pieces of You by Eileen Merriman (Penguin Random House), Sleeps Standing by Witi Ihimaera with Hemi Kelly (Penguin Random House)

The winners of each category will be announced at a special ceremony on Thursday 26 July when the Gerard Reid Award for Best Book sponsored by Nielsen Book will also be revealed.

The PANZ Book Design Awards were established by the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) to promote excellence in, and provide recognition for, the best book design in New Zealand.