HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover
Shortlist 2013
 | Designer Scott Crickett Title The Auckland University Press Anthology of New Zealand Literature by Jane Stafford and Mark Williams (eds) Publisher Auckland University Press Format 238 x 176mm, 1184pp, jacketed hardback, section sewn, uncoated jacket with matt varnish, printed five-colour, head and tail bands, two ribbons Judges' Comments Here’s an unusual concept: a cover made up of other covers. The title here is framed by strips taken from esteemed New Zealand books, including Coal Flat, The Rehearsal, The 10pm Question and Wulf . You can spend a long time exploring the subtleties of Scott Crickett’s design. Stare hard at the bottom left and you’ll see a Māori canoe that comes originally from a watercolour by Charles Heaphy, and above the canoe is a hilly West Coast landscape drawn by Colin McCahon. |
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 | Designer Keely O’Shannessy Title At the White Coast by Janet Charman Publisher Auckland University Press Format 165 x 230mm, 88pp, paperback Judges' Comments The cover design here is subtle, restrained and atmospheric. The coastal landscape chosen could be from New Zealand but might be anywhere in the world, which is appropriate for Janet Charman’s globe-roaming poems. |
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 | Designer Ali Teo and John O’Reilly Title Melu by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Ali Teo and John O’Reilly Publisher Scholastic Format 265 x 215mm, 32pp, hardback with printed laminated case, matt lamination with spot UV Judges' Comments Simple, strong and compelling. A wonderful composition that draws you in. It’s great to see simplicity and elegance in a children’s book. |
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 | Designer Cameron Gibb |
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 | Designer Dean Poole / Shabnam Shiwan (Alt Group) Title The Engine Room Eatery by Natalia Schamroth and Carl Koppenhagen, photography by Kieran Scott Publisher Random House Format 195 x 255mm, 560pp, jacketed hardback, section sewn, head and tail bands, ribbon Judges' Comments Chefs refer to their kitchen as 'the engine room' and the eatery celebrated in this book is located at 115 Queen Street, Northcote Point, hence the quirky title. It cleverly sets a silver circle, redolent of precise engineering, against a blackboard chalked in a confident hand with a delicious choice of main courses. |
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