Student shortlisted for annual Design Award

Art and Design student, Aleksandrs Golubovs has been shortlisted for the Penguin Random House Design Award.

The award comprises the Penguin Adult Prize and Puffin Children’s Prize, which has received more than 1,100 entries from aspiring designers across the UK.

Aleksandrs is one of 10 students from across the UK who made the Adult Prize shortlist.

The Design Award offers students on an Art or Design course at HND or degree level, experience and guidance in the publishing industry with the challenge to design a cover for a selected adult or children’s book. 

Aleksandrs, aged 22, designed a book cover for Jonathan Coe’s contemporary classic ‘What a Carve Up.’

Alexandrs said “Initially I was hesitating whether to submit my book cover design for the competition as I am very critical of my work.

“I was really pleased and proud when I found out that my work was selected for the shortlist. It is great to get feedback from professionals other than my university tutors.

“The award gives me an opportunity to get noticed and possibly to establish network to exchange design ideas, which could really benefit my future career.”

He will be judged by artists Rob Ryan and  Petra Börner, Penguin’s in-house experts Joanna Prior, Jim Stoddart and John Hamilton and cookery book author and chef, Jamie Oliver.

His place on the shortlist puts him in the running to win a £1,000 cash prize and a design placement with the UK’s biggest book publisher.

Tom Weldon, CEO, Penguin Random House UK, said “Standout cover design is an integral part of the success of a book and Penguin Random House has created thousands of iconic book covers throughout the years.

“We value creativity and design incredibly highly and started the Penguin Random House Design Award to encourage the next generation of designers to use their amazing talents to help us tell our stories.

“I am always impressed with the quality of submissions and this year is no exception so our judges will have a tough job picking their winners.”

The winner of the Design Award will be announced on Wednesday 18 June 2014.

ENDS

For more information please contact Danielle Taylor in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322448

Date Issued: 9 May 2014