Ladies, A Plate has taken out the Best Book award at the PANZ Book Design Awards. Designed by Alan Deare from Inhouse Design, it also won the Best Illustrated Book. The home-baking bible, by Alexa Johnston, appealed to the judges not because it was “particularly flashy, nor particularly ‘designer’. It is just right”, says Peter Gilderdale, the convener of judges. He noted the cover “turns the nostalgia crisp and contemporary”.
All the winning books are below.
Best Cover: Catherine Griffiths for A Short History of Photography by Harvey Benge with Gerry Badger. Best Typography: Sarah Maxey for How to Look at a Painting by Justin Paton. Young Designer of the Year: Spencer Levine won for his five covers, including Long Live the Modern edited by Julia Gatley. Book Self by poet CK Stead: cover design by Spencer Levine. Best Non-Illustrated Book: Katy Yiakmis for Diggers, Hatters and Whores: The Story of the New Zealand Gold Rushes by Stevan Eldred-Grigg. Best Educational Book: Marie Low and Esther Chua (interior), Marie Low (cover) for Saying What You See: How to Talk and Write About Art by Alison Annals, Abby Cunnane and Sam Cunnane. Best Children’s Book: Sarah Elworthy and Gavin Bishop for Piano Rock: A 1950s Childhood by Gavin Bishop.