Penguin Random House UK launches its Student Design Award 2018

The Penguin Random House Student Design Award, now in its twelfth year, aims to find the next generation of book cover designers by giving students the opportunity to experience real cover design briefs first-hand.

Over the past eleven years the Student Design Award has had almost 12,000 entries and provided 78 weeks of work placements provided to winners, with 130 UK colleges and universities participating annually.

We are excited to announce that the title briefs for each of the three categories for this year’s competition are:

• Adult Fiction Cover Award: Animal Farm by George Orwell
• Adult Non-Fiction Cover Award: A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
• Children’s Cover Award: Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

To make the process even more similar to the way our designers work, once the judges have selected the shortlist, the Art Directors will give the shortlisted entrants feedback and further art direction on their submissions. Shortlisted entrants will then be invited to resubmit their work, taking on board all the comments, before the final round of judging.

Guest judges for this year’s award are yet to be announced, but in the past have included Alice Rawsthorn (who has also judged the Turner Prize and the Stirling Prize), Deyan Sudjic (Director of the Design Museum), Jonathan Barnbrook and Harland Miller; as well as authors  Nick Hornby, Ali Smith, Chris Packham and Jacqueline Wilson.

Winners will be given the fantastic opportunity of a work placement within the Penguin Random House Design Studios as well as taking home £1,000 in prize money.

The Penguin Random House Student Design Award is open to anyone studying on a Further Education or Higher Education course (part time or full time) in any subject and at any level. Entrants must be aged 18 or over by 1 July 2018. The competition is not open to graphic design professionals.

Visit the Student Design Award website

Meet 2017's winners

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