Graphic Design Students Win 7th Annual Banned Books Jacket Design Competition

Banned Books Week brings together the entire literary community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types—in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some may consider unorthodox or unpopular. Banned Books Week 2018 is September 23 – 29.

Since 2011, Graphic Design Instructor Jan Ballard has coordinated a Banned Books Jacket Design Competition in collaboration with TCU Library. This year, eleven student projects were adjudicated by Shelda Dean, Director of Library Marketing & Publications, TCU Libraries.

First place winner Kayce Patterson is a BFA Graphic Design junior. She said, “My book was The Magnificent Ambersons and is set in the early 1900s into the 1920s with themes of old money versus new money. I was inspired by illustrated posters that came out during that time period and I wanted to portray the passing of time and styles in my cover. The front cover is heavily influenced by the early 20-th century and the back cover is more art deco-styled to reference the ‘20s in particular. Because the theme is all about money and wealthy people, I wanted to make my book look like an expensive, well-preserved vintage book by adding a subtle worn texture on it while using typography to capture the wealthy aspects of the story.“

Second place winner was Jennifer Kiser, a BFA Graphic Design junior who designed a jacket for Loving, a 1945 novel by British writer Henry Green. Third place was Lily Thompson, a BA Design Studies senior who designed a jacket for Stranger in a Strange Land, a 1961 science fiction novel by American author Robert A. Heinlein. All eleven student entries will be displayed in the TCU Library Reading Room during the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week.

For details contact Jan Ballard (j.ballard@tcu.edu).