The Penguin Random House Art Directors look through all the submitted designs and together decide which will proceed to the shortlist. At that point they do not have sight of the entrant’s name or any of the details submitted on the entry form, just the design.
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Adult fiction category
2027 Cover Design Award
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
In a large house in London's fashionable Chelsea, a baby is awake in her cot. Well-fed and cared for, she is happily waiting for someone to pick her up.
In the kitchen lie three decomposing corpses. Close to them is a hastily scrawled note.
They've been dead for several days. Who has been looking after the baby? And where did they go?
Two entangled families. A house with the darkest of secrets. A compulsive thriller from Lisa Jewell.
The brief
Lisa Jewell is one of the UK’s most successful contemporary thriller writers, known for gripping, psychologically complex novels. Published in 2019, The Family Upstairs is an atmospheric thriller set between two time periods that weaves together family secrets, obsession and long-buried mysteries.
We would like you to design a new cover for The Family Upstairs that captures the novel’s suspense and psychological intrigue, while challenging the visual conventions of the commercial crime and thriller market. We encourage you to explore a creative approach to iconography that moves beyond literal interpretations of the title. The cover should feel distinctive and contemporary, attracting new audiences to Lisa Jewell’s writing.
Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy supplied and be designed to the Penguin standard design template, incorporating the Penguin branding and all additional elements such as the barcode. Please refer to the submission details page for full details and downloads.
Copyright must be cleared for all images used in your cover design and you must include a credit line on the back cover of your design for any third-party images used; for example: ‘Cover photograph by Name Name’.
Read the book before you start designing
We recommend that you read the book before you start on your design to get a sense of the themes, characters and the author’s voice. The Family Upstairs is stocked in most bookshops and libraries and is available in both audiobook and eBook formats.
What the judges are looking for in a winning design
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 cover (front, back and spine) need to work together, remember that the front cover has to be able to work on its own, and to be eye-catching within a crowded bookshop setting as well as on screen at a reduced size for digital retailers.
The winning design will need to:
- Have an imaginative concept
- Be an 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 other books that it will be competing against in the market
- Be able to sit on the shelves of a supermarket or eBook store as easily as it sits in more traditional bookshops
The prizes
1st Prize
The first prize winner of each category will receive a six-month-long mentorship programme with a member of the Penguin Art Department (dates to be confirmed). They will also receive a Wacom Intuos Pro Medium tablet and Penguin design books to the value of £100.
2nd Prize
The second-prize winners of each category will receive a Wacom Intuos Pro Medium tablet and Penguin books to the value of £100.
3rd Prize
The third-prize winners of each category will receive a Wacom Intuos Medium tablet and Penguin books to the value of £100.
The judges
FAQs
How is the shortlist selected?
Can I use generative AI in my design?
The Cover Design Award encourages originality from aspiring creatives, and therefore we will not be accepting entries that include any elements created using generative AI.
Can I work with an illustrator or a photographer?
Yes, but we can only award one prize to the named entrant. Copyright must be cleared for all images used in your cover design and you must include a credit line on the back cover of your design for any third-party images used.
I'm not sure how to set up a template, can you help?
Take a look at the template jargon buster page.
Are there any restrictions to the fonts I can use in my design?
You can use any font that you wish in your design.
The normal copyright rules around font usage apply to your work and it’s your sole responsibility to ensure that you have the correct permissions to use them in your design.
I don’t have the fonts that are specified on the templates, can I use an alternative font that is closely matched?
Yes, you can use an alternative font as long as you have the correct permissions to use it.
Can I enter more than one submission?
You can enter a maximum of one entry per category, so two entries (two designs) in total.
Can I share my design on social media?
We love seeing your interpretations of the Cover Design Award briefs on social media – spread the word about your work! If you choose to share your designs, please include: #CoverDesignAward hashtag and tag @PenguinUKBooks / Penguin Random House UK.
Will the winning designs be printed to sell in bookshops?
The Cover Design Award is a portfolio development opportunity; the work submitted will not be used in any published works.
In some cases, we do work with shortlisted designers on published books. For that, we work with them as we would any freelancer.
Any work entered into the Cover Design Award is owned by the entrant.
How do I find out about job opportunities at Penguin Books UK?
Visit the design careers section on our website.
Still have questions?
Email us at mail@penguinrandomhousedesignaward.co.uk