PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This novel tells the story of Agastya Sen, a 24-year-old Indian who begins his professional life in public service, following in the footsteps of his father and a good part of his country's elite. The protagonist, quite westernized — so much so that he prefers to be called August — leaves the great metropolis of Delhi and moves to the countryside. His months of apprenticeship are marked by a denial of his reality, fueled by a feverish consumption of marijuana and alcohol. In this trajectory, the reader gets to know the various contradictions of contemporary India, also marked by the British colonial heritage, the North American influence and the influence of international pop culture.
The cover seeks to translate such contradictions. In addition to the opposing colors — a calm green under an intense red — a very westernized, modernist and austere typographic composition gives space to a print of gyan mudra gestures that seem to float adrift, like the character lives during a major part of the book. This traditional gesture from Indian culture can be confused with the way of holding a joint, which gives the cover a humor that represents well the spirit of the book.
BOOK INFORMATION
Trim Size: 5,9 x 9,25
Number of Pages: 352
Binding Method: Flat hard cover with emboss and painted edges
Paper: Ivory Slim 75g/m2
Typefaces: Elza
CREDIT INFORMATION
Creative Director: Mateus Valadares
Art Director: Mateus Valadares
Book Designer: Mateus Valadares
Jacket/Cover Designer: Mateus Valadares
Illustrator: Mateus Valadares
Photographer:
Picture Editor:
Production Director:
Production Coordinator:
Production Artist:
Other Credits: Lilia Goes - Print Producer; Laura Lotufo - Carambaia Art Editor; Graziella Betting - Carambaia Chief Directo; Fabiano Curi - Carambaia Editorial Director
Inglês, August: uma história indiana [English, August: an Indian Story]
Category
Cover
Description
Winner - AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2022
Book Title: Inglês, August: uma história indiana [English, August: an Indian Story]
Design Firm/Agency: mateus valadares estúdio
Publisher: Carambaia
Author/Editor: Upamanyu Chatterjee
Juror Comments
“The use of the gyan mudra hand gesture, disembodied, repeated, rotated, and in complimentary colors points to the clash between traditional and modern in contemporary India. The carry through of the red onto the painted book block is a nice touch.”
Winner Status
- 50 Covers Winner
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