Twenty one book covers, including Birdwatching: A Novel, designed by Bena Sareen, India: A Story Through 100 Objects, designed by Sneha Pamneja and The Muslim Vanishes, designed by Antra, have made the cut in the longlist of the eighth Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize. The longlisted titles, announced on Monday, December 19, at The Park Hotel in Delhi, were selected from among 600-plus entries of covers by Indian origin designers.
Spanning across distinct genres and themes, the list include designers Leeza John for Memory Police, Priyanka Thakur for Shakti: An exploration of the Divine Feminine, Akangksha Sarmah for Boys Don't Cry, Bhavya and Saurabh Garge for The Lesbian Cow and Other Stories, and Bonita Vaz-Shimray for The Illuminated: A Novel.
Gods, Giants and Geography of India by Sharanya Kunnath, Onam in a Nightie by Anujath Sindhu Vinaylal, Who's Not Afraid of Z? Not Me! by Allen Shaw, Onyoder Jiban by Trinankur Banerjee, Pebble Monkey by Paramita Brahmachari, Kankabati Kalpabigyan Lekheni by Ujjwal Ghosh and Metronama: Scenes from the Delhi Metro by Shikhar Gaurn were also in the list of the selected titles.
The jury members are noted politician-writer Shashi Tharoor, celebrated author-columnist Shobhaa De, eminent author Kunal Basu, art historian Alka Pande and Priti Paul, Director of Apeejay Surrendra Group. "It has been quite exhilarating, indeed, to encounter so much style, aesthetics and substance in the outstanding entries received this year. Each book jacket that has made it to the longlist celebrates originality, creativity and reflects reality," said Pande, chair of jury.
Other designers included in the list are Advaita Vats for Motherland: Pushpamala N's Woman and Nation, Misha Oberoi for Growing up Jewish: Synagogues, Customs, and Communities from the Bene Israel to the Art of Siona Benjamin, Archana Jain for Tirahe Par Teen, Sourish Mitra for A Paradox of Dreams, and Ahlawat Gunjan for Invisible Empire.
The shortlist for the award will be unveiled at Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) in January 2023, while the winner will be announced in Delhi a few weeks later, informed the organisers. The seventh edition of the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize was awarded to designer Ishan Khosla for Kintsugi, published by HarperCollins.
