HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover 2026
Finalist
Designer: Sarah Wilkins
Title: All Her Lives
Publisher: Te Herenga Waka University Press
Format: 210 x 138 mm, 272pp, perfect bound.
Typography: Cover: Futura Bold, size 63/28/16pt Baskerville, size 22/16/10pt, regular, italic
Publisher’s Brief:
“A vibrant, painterly interpretation of this 1920s portrait of a young woman: https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/352523
Take note of the direct gaze and posture, and almost androgynous look. In terms of ‘feel’, lean towards edginess and even a confronting tone rather than whimsy or prettiness. Medium is over to you: we could see a treatment in coloured pencil working well, or paint if that feels more appropriate.”
Judges’ Comments:
“Impressive interpretation of the source image, making it a contemporary and appealing illustration for the cover. The excellent contrast between the strawberry red and turquoise-green palette is highly attention-grabbing, while the subject’s direct gaze creates a focal point that draws the reader in. The restrained typography, matched to the illustration’s red tone, creates cohesion and allows the artwork to remain the hero.”
