Project Tag: design (page 1 of 1)

covers by nick whittock (2004)

In 2004 I had the bright idea of starting up a poetry imprint for Cordite Poetry ReviewCordite On Demand (or COD). It was a short-lived venture, to say the least, but we did publish two books, and also set up an equally short-lived website.

The second book published by COD was the magnificently barmy covers by nick whittock. Nick, I think it is safe to say, is the wold’s best cricket poet, and a total tragic when it comes to the game. Cordite basically single-handedly kickstarted Nick’s career as a poet and cricket blogger, and I’m proud to this day to have been a supporter his published poetic output.

If OI: poewemz bii tom see (2004) was a challenge, design-wise, then covers was an absolute monster. Nick had very particular ideas about poem placement and line breaks, and it took a lot of back and forth before we got it right.

The book also contains a number of images of ‘sleeping’ cricketers, as well as spectacular cover image, which shows players taking cover as a flying bomb passes overhead during a wartime match at Lords.

covers (2004)

michael slater
damien martyn
hayden & langer: open slat(h)er
re mission
sonny rollins
dizzy gillespie
brett lee
steve waugh … 
michael slater
an eleven
test 
pe
record 9th wicket partnership
justin langer
[ ]
spin
border-gavaskar trophy 03/04
doosra locomotion

OI: poewemz bii tom see (2004)

In 2004 I had the bright idea of starting up a poetry imprint for Cordite Poetry Review: Cordite On Demand (or COD). It was a short-lived venture, to say the least, but we did publish two books, and also set up an equally short-lived website.

The first book published by COD was the idiosyncratically titled OI: poewemz bii tom see (2004), which was actually written by Tom Clark, with illustrations by Charles Lake. The poems in the book are written in Tom’s trademark phonetic style: see ‘Heet’, which was published in Cordite’s first issue in print, for an example.

The book itself was designed to mimic the shape and size of a record cover, with the titles printed on the back as if it was an album rather than a book. Looking back, this was definitely an exercise in discovery: trying to work out how to design and format an object that was true to the author’s style and personality.

OI: poewemz bii tom see (2004)

Goalden aij
Dhe paasing uv jaimz bond
Dhe Wautuweel
Daivi joenzez lokur
Tranz
Tramz
Daun-derj
Dhu blak and green skaerkroe
U praer fur joniy
Evurest (audio) 
Hoem
Songmoth
Wen niits berden faulz
Wej-tail
Dubul disuloushen kiit
Freedum
Henliy beetc
In praiz uv patenz