Interviewzeit - Coralie Bickford-Smith

image by Stuart Simpson

 

Wie gestern schon angekündigt, durfte ich Coralie Bickford-Smith, der Cover-Designerin der Penguin Clothbound Classics, einige Fragen stellen.

Dear Coralie, let´s start with a simple (or rather difficult?) question.  How would you describe yourself in only 5 words?

Author, designer, illustrator, creatively chaotic.

I have read that you spent your childhood surrounded by books and obviously books are still part of your daily life. As an illustrator you have created several gorgeous book covers. I must confess sometimes I buy a book just because I love the cover. How about you? Is there a book you simply want to own because it looks stunning?

Yes, me too. I sometimes buy books because I love the way they look and feel in my hands. It is not just the cover design that attracts me but also the way they are printed and put together, the colors and the texture of the paper. Basically the book as a whole object. I am a sucker for a beautifully produced book. I always wanted to own a reproduction of a William Morris book from the Kelmscott press. One day I was in the right place at the right time and found an edition of The Kelmscott Chaucer -  reproduction by the Folio Society - which urgently needed a home. So of course, off it went to my house. I plan to donate it to a library when I have finished with it as it is so wonderful and should be shared. I can't let go of it just yet.

Can you explain your work process? I assume you read all the books you design the covers for. Do you get your ideas while reading?

I will read as much text as there is available for a  book I am working on. With the classics the whole text is there but sometimes with a new - not yet published title - only a synopsis might be available. When I start thinking about designs it is all about research. I like to research the era the author was writing in, the era the book was set in. The design trends about those times. Also the things that were happening in society at those points. I get lost in the text and look for symbols that express feelings, main plot lines or emotions in the story. I also like to make people who might have read the book before feel a spark of connection to the text again or a new reader wonder why the book has been represented with a certain symbol. I like to engage people's curiosity about the book.

How long does it take to design a cover for the clothbound classics?

image by Stuart Simpson

This can vary tremendously, sometimes it is so fast and instant, sometimes it takes a lot of thinking and pondering until the right idea makes itself known. Robinson Crusoe was an example of things taking longer than usual. I wrote my dissertation on the printed editions of Robinson Crusoe. It was one of the most printed books at the time. So  I was very much aware of how the story had been visually represented on book covers in the past. I wanted to do something less obvious than what had been done time and time again. After a lot of thinking I eventually came up with the idea of phases of the moon - the passing of time he spent on the island. I thought about how the character would have watched the phases of the moon.

Are there different editions for different countries or do all books look exactly the same all around the world?

Different countries do have different covers sometimes. With the clothbound classics they are the same covers as they are exported as they are. It all depends on the book and there are no fast rules. For example, sometimes the US will take the UK jacket or the UK will take the US jacket. It is all a movable feast depending on the author, the publisher and the country. 

 

You know that I love the covers you do for the Penguin clothbound classics. Do you have a favorite design amongst them? I especially like “Twenty thousand leagues under the sea” and “Dracula”.

My favorite all time jacket is Dracula. I purposely weaved garlic flowers around the jacket so that Dracula could not escape from the pages of the book when left on your nightstand.

 

The first edition of “Crime and Punishment „by Fyodor Dostoyevsky has a different colour set than the second edition. Is there a specific reason for the change?

Yes, the first edition that was printed was part of the first set of 10 books. At this point in time the foil would not adhere to cloth so instead of being machine foiled it was sent out to be hand foiled to make sure it worked. This was expensive and timely. Therefore with the reprint we used a different combination of foil and cloth that we knew would work on the machine the other titles were foiled on.

You are an awesome illustrator and author. If you could acquire any other talent, what would it be?

Thanks for saying that. That is very kind. I have been doing some painting courses. I would love to develop my visual language in paint. To express my  experiences and emotions in this way really excites my creative brain. A return to something I loved as a kid.

Assuming that you love to read: If you could meet any author – still living or already dead - who would it be and why?

William Blake - he not only wrote and illustrated his books - he designed them coloured them, printed them and bound them. That was so inspiring to my 17 year old self and has continued to be through the years.

Who is your favorite fictional hero or villain?

Jane Eyre

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.`’ ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

A few last questions:

●       Coffee or tea? Coffee

●       Bungee-jumping or diving with sharks? Diving with Sharks

●       Cinema or theater? CInema

●       Chocolate or crisps? Crisps

 

And the very last question: Is there any book you would love to give a whole new look?

I have been very spoiled because I have already designed covers for my favorite  authors - William Blake, Phillip Pullman, Antoine de-saint Exupery and Marcus Aurelius - to name a few. What I  love is the fact that I never know what manuscripts will turn up on my desk and who will turn into my new favorite author.

 

By the way...

Coralie Bickford-Smith ist nicht nur eine in meinen Augen tolle Coverdesignerin, sie ist auch selbst Autorin. Ihr neuestes Buch ist gerade mal 3 Monate alt.

Das Eichhörnchen und der verlorene Schatz

Das Buch ist ebenso wie die Clothbound Classics in Leinen gebunden und einfach wunderschön. Es eignet sich zum Vorlesen, ist aber durch die edle Aufmachung auch besonders gut zum Verschenken an Erwachsene geeignet. Wer also noch ein besonderes Geschenk für einen Bücherliebhaber sucht, der wird hier vielleicht fündig.