My Penguin Animal Farm
Penguin Classic : My Penguin
Paperback : 02 Aug 2007
£5.00
Synopsis
We've published seven more Classics with naked front covers and this time there's a twist... The seven titles have been chosen by seven bands (including Razorlight, Beck and Ryan Adams) and they've all done their own covers for them.
Why not design your own cover for My Penguin? Visit www.penguin.co.uk/mypenguin to find out more!
Mr. Hudson & The Library have done a cover for Animal Farm
See Mr. Hudson & The Library's cover
Read an interview with Mr. Hudson & The Library
When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the beginning of a life of freedom and equality. But gradually a cunning, ruthless élite among them, masterminded by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, starts to take control. Soon the other animals discover that they are not all as equal as they thought, and find themselves hopelessly ensnared as one form of tyranny is replaced with another. Orwell’s chilling ‘fairy story’ is a timeless and devastating satire of idealism betrayed by power and corruption.
Mr. Hudson & The Library's cover
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Cover Design: Mr. Hudson & The Library
Mr. Hudson & The Library on Beck's My Penguin and how their cover for Animal Farm took more than a few attempts...
Why did you choose this book?
Orwell is one of my favourites. Also I was in a school production of Animal Farm.
Talk us through your cover...
I want to do something punchy, cartoon but sinister. Really inspired by the shutter paintings of London Frontline.
Who else's My Penguin would you love to see?
Beck should be interesting.
Why did you want to be a part of My Penguin?
It's an honour, I've always loved picking up old editions in charity shops and on the south bank.
What are your top 5 favourite books of all time?
The Rainbow - D. H. Lawrence, 1984 Orwell, Shakespeare, The Rape Of The Lock - Pope, The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Why was your choice of book the best My Penguin to cover?
Mainly because I love Orwell. He lived on my street.
Do you think your having taken part in My Penguin will encourage your fans to cover their own favourite book?
I hope so.
A book cover is very different from your usual work, how did you find the contrast?
It was a real novelty as I don't usually work with visuals. Though I really enjoyed commissioning our album sleeve and working closely with the portrait painter, Clara Drummond.
An album cover often sets the mood for the album, how do you think your cover sets the mood for this book?
It should remind the reader that behind the farmyard fun there are very dark historical events being satirised. Orwell was unafraid to be doomy and gloomy.
Can you judge a book by its cover?
Always.
How do you hope your cover will inspire others?
Just to read the thing and then another one and another one.
Did you get it right the first time or did you have to give it a couple of tries?
Well I can't really paint or draw so yes quite a few attempts.
What music did you listen to whilst covering your my Penguin?
Gangsta Rap - quite fitting.
What are you reading at the moment?
Brideshead Revisited
Which other writers do you most admire?
Swift, Donne, Kureishi.
Which Classic have you always meant to read but never got round to it?
The Bible
Which fictional character would you most like to meet?
Helen Of Troy
Which literary character do you most identify with?
Aslan
