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 took home the accolades and the awards for two categories plus the best overall book design, at the PANZ Book Design Awards announced on Thursday 26 July at a ceremony in Auckland.
New China Eyewitness won the Penguin Random House New Zealand Award for Best Illustrated Book and the HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover, before collecting the Gerard Reid Award for Best Book sponsored by Nielsen Book.
‘As a complete package, it’s exquisite,’ said David Coventon, convenor of the judging panel. ‘New China Eyewitness is a fine example of respectful and thoughtful production values. The paper stock is beautiful. The finely-tuned, nuanced attention to detail makes for a striking and high-quality end product. It accomplishes a great deal of refinement in the face of a complex and demanding set of design requirements.’
Rachel Clark took home the award for Allen & Unwin Young Designer of the Year 2018 for her portfolio of work which included 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) and Hideaways by Hilary Ngan Kee and photography by Sam Stuchbury (Penguin Random House).
‘Clark’s design was well-developed, confident and demonstrated a clear response to the subject at hand,’ said judging panel member, Janson Chau. ‘Typography, so often a giveaway for an inexperienced designer, is used thoughtfully with an eye on contemporary practice. Her work can already sit equally among those in other categories, as the judges were impressed to find upon reaching this category after the others.’
There were 110 entries for this year’s awards indicating the art of good book design across commercial and independent publishers, and university presses is in good health, with publishers valuing the investment great design brings.
The PANZ BOOK DESIGN AWARDS 2018 WINNERS ARE:
Gerard Reid Award for Best Book Sponsored by Nielsen Book
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
Penguin Random House New Zealand Award for Best Illustrated Book
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
Upstart Press Award for Best Non-Illustrated Book
Allen Curnow Biography and Poems Slipcase edition by Terry Sturm. Edited by Linda Cassells, Elizabeth Caffin and Terry Sturm (Auckland University Press), cover design by Sarah Maxey, interior design by Katrina Duncan
Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children’s Book
Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story by Gavin Bishop (Penguin Random House), design by Vida and Luke Kelly, Kelly Design, illustrations by Gavin Bishop
Edify Award for Best Educational Book
The New Zealand Art Activity Book: new edition by Helen Lloyd (Te Papa Press), designed by Kate Barraclough, Kate Frances Design
1010 Printing Award for Best Cookbook
Eat Up New Zealand by Al Brown (Allen & Unwin New Zealand), designed by Gary Stewart, The Gas Project
HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover
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
Mary Egan Publishing Award for Best Typography
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
Allen & Unwin Young Designer of the Year 2018
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) and Hideaways by Hilary Ngan Kee with photography by Sam Stuchbury
