Books / illustration
Interview: Naomi Clarke
The Bristol Short Story Prize, an international writing competition based in the city, runs an annual cover design project with the final year Illustration degree students at UWE. One of the students’ designs is selected for the cover of the prize anthology. The anthology, published by Bristol-based Tangent Books, contains the 20 stories shortlisted for the writing competition.
The design selected for the 2019 cover, the 12th BSSP anthology, is by recent UWE graduate, Naomi Clarke. She tells Bristol 24/7 more about her work, the Illustration course and her cover design.
What did you think when you found out your design had been chosen for this year’s Bristol Short Story Prize anthology cover?
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When I found out I had won the cover of the Bristol Short Story Prize I was very pleased and proud that I design I created was chosen to be this year’s winner of Bristol Short Story Prize anthology cover project.
Naomi Clarke’s cover design was selected for the 12th Bristol Short Story Prize anthology which will be published on October 12.
What impact has the Illustration degree course had on your work?
The Illustration course has helped me expand my creative skills, experimenting with 3d, photography, printing and digital throughout the 3 years. In the final year we had a series of live briefs we could participate in, this really helped with defining my style and what areas of illustration and design I’d like to work with.
What makes a great book cover?
I think a book cover has to really stand out, especially as it has to compete with varying styles of books on the shelves. When designing a book cover, it’s key to focus on typography as much as the illustration, and to keep the design of the book focused to portraying it to the correct audience.
The brief for the anthology cover is quite wide and non-specific. Was that a help or a hindrance in coming up with a design?
I really liked that the brief was wide and non-specific as it helped me to explore the themes I’d like to bring to the cover, using what inspires me. I think that if the brief was more specific this would have hindered me to create the final design.
What are your plans now that you have graduated?
Now I have graduated, I am staying in Bristol and working part time in a Mexican Restaurant; while I continue to create new projects and am trying to start my freelance illustration career.
The 12th Bristol Short Story Prize anthology featuring Naomi Clarke’s cover design will be published by Tangent Books and launched on October 12 at this year’s BSSP awards ceremony. The winner of the 2019 Bristol Short Story Prize will also be announced as will the winner of the Sansom Award for Bristol writers. For more information, visit https://www.bristolprize.co.uk/
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