Rejected Covers is an ongoing series for which artists reveal their inspirations and unused design ideas for popular titles. Below, Nayon Cho, Senior Designer at Penguin, discusses the process of designing the cover for the latest novel by Mo Yan, a Chinese Nobel Prize winner. Yan’s latest book explores the country’s family planning policy through the eyes of a zealous midwife.
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The design that was ultimately approved uses the same title treatment, but with different art. One of the central horrors of the book is the danger many unborn babies are placed in by Gugu. I found a great photograph of a peaceful porcelain baby sleeping in a nest. The baby is so fragile, but it also could be a figurine crafted by one of the characters in the book, who creates meticulously realistic porcelain dolls. To show the danger surrounding the village’s babies, I perched the nest precariously on top of this tall tall title, thinking of the nursery rhyme lines, “When the bough breaks / the cradle will fall / and down will come baby / cradle and all.” I’m happy with this design, and think it succeeds in every important way: the baby represents a key aspect of the plot, the monumental scale of the title signals the importance of the novel, and it is overall a warmer, less abstract design. The author was very happy with the jacket as well, which is always a rewarding end to an important project.
