Skip to content

Take Cover: Jon Gray on Book Design

When

Event Status

Some book covers just stick with you. Think of David Pelham’s classic cover of Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, with the cog-eyed face under the bowler hat. Or the famous cover of Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything Is Illuminatedwith its exuberant black-and-white, hand-drawn typography. If you’re a fan of the latter, great news: its celebrated London-based designer, Jon Gray, is coming to Melbourne.

Gray, a co-founder of the Academy of British Cover Design, has designed book jackets for some of the biggest names in literature. Among his other memorable, sometimes controversial covers, are NW by Zadie Smith and Tampa by Alissa Nutting. Aside from his book design work, Gray has worked on marketing campaigns from some of the world’s biggest brands, including Nike and The New York Times.

In conversation with W.H. Chong (designer of the unforgettable cover of The Rosie Project), the pair will discuss the art and artistry of great cover design.

Presented in partnership with Australian Book Designers Association.

Featuring

Jon Gray

Jon Gray (AKA gray318) is one of the most celebrated book designers in the world. He has designed and illustrated book covers for publishers around the world. His work famously adorns books by Jonathan Safran Foer (recall the red hand of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), Zadie Smith, Davi... Read more

W.H. Chong

W.H. Chong is a book designer and design director at Text Publishing. A founding member of ABDA (Australian Book Designers Association), he also writes on visual art for Daily Review and on design for ABDA.com.au. Chong is an inductee of the Australian Book Designers Hall of Fame... Read more

Location

The Edge, Fed Square

The Atrium Flinders Street Federation Square Melbourne Victoria 3000

More details

Stay up to date with our upcoming events and special announcements by subscribing to The Wheeler Centre's mailing list.

Privacy Policy

The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Centre stands. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders, past and present, as the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.