As the London Book Fair showcases this year's literary trends, we showcase the latest must-have looks
John Dugdale - The Guardian -
Totes on trend ... the covers for Kate Atkinson and Francesca Segal's new novels
What's the fashionable book wearing, with publishing's spring/summer season just begun and its answer to London Fashion Week - the London Book Fair - starting tomorrow? Here are the hottest current looks in jackets; some would call them "cliches", but at Guardian books we prefer "trends".
Look: woman or girl's back in period frock
Example (latest from): Kate Atkinson
Also worn by: plenty, from Francesca Segal to Kate Summerscale
What it says: you'll like her - heroine and author - but she's a bit quirky, elusive and old-fashioned
Look: pure text - just name and title
Example: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Also worn by: Julian Barnes, Gillian Flynn
What it says: bow down - author is such a god that usual visual accessories would be vulgar
Look: sunset and silhouette(s)
Example: Khaled Hosseini
Also worn by: Jhumpa Lahiri, Romesh Gunesekera; also crime, eg Lee Child
What it says: really not as bleak as it sounds; setting is lovely, anyway
Look: WTF – cover image no obvious relation to book
Example: JM Coetzee - jacket seems to be photo of English interwar trio post-tennis, but novel is called The Childhood Of Jesus and about strange Latin utopia
Also worn by: no one yet, but could start trend like McQueen bonkers frocks
What it says: help!
Look: multicoloured cover resembling gallery art
Example: Taiye Selasi
Also worn by: Zadie Smith, Monica Ali
What it says: we're convinced novel's vibrant multiculturalism will make other fiction seem grey and stale (but have fingers crossed that full-on cover and book alike won't put off punters rather than wowing them)
Look: copycat cover - references earlier hit crudely or subtly
Example: Sabine Durrant (mimics orange-on-black palette of Flynn's Gone Girl)
Also worn by: dozens of erotica titles imitating EL James black look; SJ Watson wannabes
What it says: we're still gutted about missing out on zillion-selling X, but might pull off a limited recovery if we can convince you Y is almost as good
And what's not hot? On the way out are yellows and pastels; the curious short-lived vogue for showing only women's feet or arms; images of furniture; ostensibly hand-illustrated covers (eg The Art of Fielding) - and the retro look in general has become passé
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Example (latest from): Kate Atkinson
Also worn by: plenty, from Francesca Segal to Kate Summerscale
What it says: you'll like her - heroine and author - but she's a bit quirky, elusive and old-fashioned
Look: pure text - just name and titleExample: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Also worn by: Julian Barnes, Gillian Flynn
What it says: bow down - author is such a god that usual visual accessories would be vulgar
Look: sunset and silhouette(s)
Example: Khaled Hosseini
Also worn by: Jhumpa Lahiri, Romesh Gunesekera; also crime, eg Lee Child
What it says: really not as bleak as it sounds; setting is lovely, anyway
Look: WTF – cover image no obvious relation to book
Example: JM Coetzee - jacket seems to be photo of English interwar trio post-tennis, but novel is called The Childhood Of Jesus and about strange Latin utopia
Also worn by: no one yet, but could start trend like McQueen bonkers frocks
What it says: help!
Look: multicoloured cover resembling gallery artExample: Taiye Selasi
Also worn by: Zadie Smith, Monica Ali
What it says: we're convinced novel's vibrant multiculturalism will make other fiction seem grey and stale (but have fingers crossed that full-on cover and book alike won't put off punters rather than wowing them)
Look: copycat cover - references earlier hit crudely or subtly
Example: Sabine Durrant (mimics orange-on-black palette of Flynn's Gone Girl)
Also worn by: dozens of erotica titles imitating EL James black look; SJ Watson wannabes
What it says: we're still gutted about missing out on zillion-selling X, but might pull off a limited recovery if we can convince you Y is almost as good
And what's not hot? On the way out are yellows and pastels; the curious short-lived vogue for showing only women's feet or arms; images of furniture; ostensibly hand-illustrated covers (eg The Art of Fielding) - and the retro look in general has become passé
More
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