Awards Book Archive

The Octopus and I
  • Highly Commended

Designed by
Alissa Dinallo
Category
Best Designed Literary Fiction Cover
Year
2021
Publisher
Allen & Unwin

About the Designer

Alissa is a Sydney-based book designer who has worked in-house at Allen & Unwin and Penguin Random House. When not designing for commercial publishing houses, Alissa also works closely with writers to create artist’s books and typographic works. She is also a co-founder of BookEating Press, a boutique publishing company. She was named Young Designer of the Year at the 2015 Australian Book Design Awards.

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Design Rationale

The Octopus and I is a stunning piece of writing that explores the wild, beating heart at the intersection of human and animal, love and loss, fear and hope. I wanted to capture the beauty and mystical essence of Erin’s novel with a striking graphic cover. Octopuses are at the center of this story, and symbolise so many elements, I wanted to use its beautiful shape as a key feature. The tentacles of the Octopus encompass the entire cover, intertwined with coral and seaweed. I also used a PMS Reflex Blue and a spot UV to enhance these illustrative elements.

Details
Dimensions
153 x 234 mm
No. pages
368
Credits
Internal Design
Alissa Dinallo
Illustration
Alissa Dinallo
Typesetting
Midland Typesetters
Printing
Griffin Press
Author
Erin Hortle