Picador is 40!

I love it when exciting things pop into my email box, especially if it concerns giving something away. This email was a delight to receive. Win a box set to cherish. 

To celebrate Picador’s 40^th anniversary, Picador are re-issuing 12 of their classic fiction titles. Among them you will find prize-winning books, books that have become global sales hits, books that caused huge controversy when published or were published to huge critical acclaim. Together they are a valuable set of must-reads.

Neil Lang, Senior Designer at Picador said:

“The Picador 40th design initially started conceptually, before the titles were confirmed which enabled me to concentrate on creating a series style.

Once the titles were confirmed, I tried many different approaches; using typography only to convey the subject, a template into which different illustrations could fit, very simple shapes and flat colours - all of which evolved into the more detailed black and white series. Some titles would obviously benefit from being less graphic and so I commissioned Rob Hunter to work alongside me on those.

Originally the series started with a more rigid feel, using the same typography and positioning on all, but by using the black and white to unite them it meant that a typeface could be chosen to suit each title. Of course, I couldn’t resist a nod to the classic white spine which always looked great on a bookshelf.

Every cover is different and I think works individually, but when seen together work as a set, although I’m sure everyone will have a favourite myself included!”

Each book comes with a section of extra material which historicises the book and provides a spring board for readers to discover more. These pages include contemporary review coverage, author interviews and essays, original jacket art work, reading guides, information about adapting the books for film as well as information about other books by the authors and recommended reading 

lists

 

 The twelve re-design Picador classics are:

The Sea by John Banville

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano

White Noise by Don DeLillo

Room by Emma Donoghue

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst

All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Mother’s Milk by Edward St Aubyn

Last Orders by Graham Swift

Dirt Music by Tim Winton

So, yes, I have a full set to giveaway. How lucky are you! Secretly, I would love a set myself. All you need to do is leave a 'pick me' comment below by Tuesday 28 February, or a tweet 'I want to win Picador 40' and I will pick a winner. Good luck!