Cover Love: Penguin Ink collection

If people can have literary tattoos then why can’t literature have people tattoos?

My ‘Cover Love’ feature returns to RobAroundBooks this month, with one of the finest looking set of books to have graced the bookshop bookshelves in recent months. This newly released limited edition set of titles from Penguin Books is called the Penguin Ink collection. It comprises of six of Penguin UK’s older bestselling titles, which have had special covers designed for them by renowned tattoo artists around the world. The titles and associated cover artists are as follows (links lead to publisher page for each title, and the tattoo artist’s own website):

• High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. Cover designed by tattoo artist, Russ Abbott.
• Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller. Cover designed by tattoo artist, Valerie Vargas.
• The Accidental by Ali Smith. Cover designed by tattoo artist, Judd Ripley.
• The Rotters’ Club by Jonathan Coe. Cover designed by tattoo artist, Han van der Sluys.
• The Book of Dave by Will Self. Cover designed by tattoo artist, Duncan X.
• White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Cover designed by tattoo artist, Lynn Akura.

I adore these covers, not least because they’re bold and bright and very much in the traditional ‘old school’ design. And yet in every one of these ‘book tattoos’ there’s also a subtle tribute to the book that each one relates to. They’re beautiful and wholly unique, and I think that every one of these covers stands as a testament to the skill and creativity of the tattoo artist who created it. I’ve long admired the tattooist as being something of a master craftsman/craftswoman (I have a bunch of tattoos myself), and I applaud Penguin for putting these ‘masters’ on a pedestal, and giving their artwork pride of place on the cover of six of their most celebrated novels.

And if you’re thirsty for more tattoo-inspired cover loving goodness dear reader, then you’ll be pleased to know that Penguin US have also commissioned their own set of covers, featuring a whole different set of titles and six more ‘kick ass’ tattoo artists from around the globe. Go check ‘em out.

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‘Cover Love’ offers me the indulgence of being able to push aside the old adage of ‘never judging a book by its cover’ for once, and to celebrate with a passion my lust for book cover design.