Perfume by Patrick Süskind

Survivor, genius, perfumer, killer — this is Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. He is abandoned on the filthy streets of Paris as a child, but grows up to discover he has an extraordinary gift: a sense of smell more powerful than any other human’s. Soon, he is creating the most sublime fragrances in all the city. Yet there is one odour he cannot capture. It is exquisite, magical: the scent of a young virgin. And to get it he must kill. And kill. And kill …

Perfume was first published in 1985 and became an immediate and enduring international bestseller. A haunting, shocking and lyrical thriller, it will appeal not just to fans of crime and thrillers but to anyone who enjoys literary fiction. The film of Perfume, starring Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman, was a box-office smash on its release in 2006, giving it an even greater mass-market appeal.

The cover should be eye-catching and have the potential to draw people to it who have never heard of the book before. And yet it should also appeal to and not alienate readers who have heard of Perfume, maybe have even read and enjoyed it already but now can't resist buying a definitive copy of the book with an amazingly attractive cover.

Think twice before responding to the title too literally. The title in this case is a noun that is doing quite a lot of descriptive work on the cover, so when you're thinking about what image you want to use consider how it juxtaposes the title. Consider whether you are reinforcing the title with your image or contrasting or complimenting that message. Or whether by visualizing some other aspect of the book you can portray something more compelling. Any of these routes can work if handled well.

Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy as supplied and be designed to the specified design template (B format, 198mm high x 129mm wide, spine 18mm wide).

Tip:

It is always good to use a visual element that a reader can quickly relate to — showing a human element does this very well.

What the judges are looking for:

We are looking for a striking cover design that is well executed, has an imaginative concept and clearly places the book for its market. While all elements of the jacket need to work together as a cohesive whole, remember that the front cover needs to be able to work on its own and be eye-catching within a crowded bookshop setting.

The winning design will need to:

• have an imaginative concept and original interpretation of the brief
• be competently executed with strong use of typography
• appeal to the broadest possible audience for the book
• show a good understanding of the marketplace
• have a point of difference from the many other book covers it is competing against
• be able to sit on the shelves of a supermarket as easily as it sits on those of more upmarket bookshops such as Waterstone’s