Flashback 2014: Best of Indian Book Covers

Let’s begin with the customary disclaimer. Compiling a list is always fraught with danger. However, meticulous you are, there is bound to be gasp of sigh later when you remember a gem that you may have missed.

There are so many books being published that it is virtually impossible to keep track of everything happening around you.  Moreover, a list like this is relative and extremely personal, more than anything else.

I have compiled this one not only for the amazing visual appeal of the covers but because they successfully fuse aesthetics with content inside the book — a trait that makes us revisit the covers long after we have finished reading.

The Mysterious Ailment of Rupi Baskey 
Author: Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar 
Publisher: Aleph
Design and illustration: Nikheel Aphale 

One can literally visualise Nikhil creating beautiful calligraphy with swift swathes of brushstrokes that caress the pulp. Nowhere is it more evident than in 'The Mysterious Ailment of Rupi Baskey', a rare book that looks at the physical and cultural life in a Santhal village in Jharkhand. The small fishes jumping out of dripping green-yellow colours and the enmeshed feathers create an authentic and vibrant ambience for the book.  

Things We Found During the Autopsy
Author: Kuzhali Manickavel 
Publisher: Blaft
Design and illustration: Prabha Mallya 

Nowadays, any book having animals as characters is up for Prabha’s unique vision and she surprises us every time with her different takes on them. That unique signature can be seen in 'The Petpost Secret' by Radhika R Dhariwal (Harper Collins India) as well, a stunning cover that looks alluring and mysterious.

However, among her work, my pick this year is 'Things We Found During the Autopsy' by Kuzhali Manickavel (Blaft). The cover strangely reminds me of her own 'Black Bread, White Beer' by Niven Govinden (Harper Collins India) done years ago. However, this one is done with more panache as even the scratches in the letters recreate the title of the book.

Readings
Author: Gayatri C Spivak 
Publisher: Seagull Books
Design: Sunandini Banerjee

Each book by Seagull reminds me of the sheer sensual delight that accompanies the touch and feel of their pages. Their catalogue every year is one of the best designed artefacts in this country. I can crowd this list with their books but among many beautiful covers designed by their resident artist Sunandini Banerjee, my choice is 'Readings' by the maverick Gayatri C Spivak.

In general, academic books, even the best designed ones, goes under the radar due to less visual presence on shelves. However, evocative design like this one is difficult to ignore as miniscule hand scrawled alphabets and numbers crawl like ants on green background creating a metaphor for reading itself.   

Strangely Beloved: Writings on Calcutta
Editor: Nilanjana Gupta 
Publisher: Rupa/Rainlight 
Photograph: Getty Images
Design: Maithili Doshi Aphale

This quirky, erudite collection of vignettes on Calcutta gets an appropriate cover which looks at the paradoxes of the city from a birds’ eye perspective.

Distant, strange yet intimate, the photograph’s minimalism is its strength. One can literally feel for the hand-rickshaw puller toiling and pulling away from the vehicles moving in opposite direction. The font is just right and doesn’t disturb the negative space that the cover exudes. 

Teresa’s Man and Other Stories from Goa
Author: Damodar Mauzo 
Publisher: Rupa 
Design and illustration: Archana Srinivasan 

A cover of this kind requires a lot of meticulous planning and reworking which is described by the designer herself: https://orangelemonade.wordpress.com/. I like the clean line drawing that captures the joie de vivre of Goa more than anything else. The colours are soft and lilting allowing the readers to soak in the Goa sun.

The Book of Gold Leaves
Author: Mirza Waheed  
Publisher: Penguin India

The touching story of “discovering” the cover art of this exquisite book can be read here. I personally like the Indian edition more than the UK edition as it plays on the patterns more subtly while the black circle adds a centre of attention throwing the title into sharp relief.  

Capital: A Portrait of Twenty-first century Delhi 
Author: Rana Dasgupta 
Publisher: Harper Collins India
Design and illustration: Aditya Pande

The books of Rana Dasgupta (his own website is fantastic, to say the least) always had exceptional covers and this one is not different in that respect. The one thing that struck me in this cover is the element of surprise. The intricate golden pattern of decorative flowers is least expected in this kind of book where photographs or straightforward illustrations are the norm. The production is good enough to buy this one for the cover itself.

Malavikagnimitram, Kumarasambhavam 
Author: Kalidasa 
Publisher: Penguin India
Design and illustration: Finn Dean

If the sneak peeks of the forthcoming books in the series – Abijnanasakuntalam and Megadutam are anything to go by, this is a gorgeous reproduction of the timeless classics... as it should be done... the right way. Kalidasa would have approved.

Talking of Muskaan 
Author: Himanjali Sankar 
Publisher: Duckbill
Photograph: Sayoni Basu 
Design: Ayushi Saxena

This coming out of the closet story has a pitch perfect cover that reflects symbolically on the content inside. The protruding legs with mismatched striped socks against a black and white background look refreshing. The three scattered flowers add to the intrigue and overall look.

Eat the Sky Drink the Ocean 
Editors: Payal Dhar, Kirsty Murray and Anita Roy 
Publisher: Zubaan
Illustration: Priya Kuriyan 

This wonderful anthology takes an artwork from within the book to recreate a cover which lists the authors in a wonderfully innovative way. Priya is a consummate artist whose strength is in her detailing. Her blog gives an initiation to the kind of superlative work she has done lately, specially for children.

Pinaki De is an Assistant Professor in English and a freelance graphic designer who works for leading publishing houses in India. Some of his own book covers can be seen here.