Competitions suck, mostly because everyone can’t win.

We created the Zuma’s Bastard cover competition to give readers an opportunity to play a part in creating the cover. We received around 25 covers – some itsy bitsy pieces put together for the heck of it, others a little more professional and some incredibly brilliant.

We appreciated them all. Why? Because they all put their foot a forward in pursuit of the dream.

Now. We proudly present the six designs that made it through to the final round.

The Winner will be announced on Monday 23 August  2010.

All shortlisted entries will be showcased at the Book Launch later this year and a signed copy of the book. The winning designer will receive a R2500-00 cash prize.

The Shortlist

#1

DESIGNER: FATIMA CASSIM

RATIONALE:

“Umshini Wami” was used as inspiration for this design; hence, the choice of the bullet chain as the central image on the cover. The machine gun imagery references Zuma, but more specifically denotes a weapon (of mass destruction? seduction?). On closer inspection of the bullets, one can see that the bullet tips are actually nibs – the nibs indicate the author’s weapon of choice. The map of Africa has been combined with the author’s profile to specify his nationality. Furthermore, the ink bleed at the tip of the continent’s silhouette lends a humorous twist to the design by suggesting that the author is not afraid to cross the lines, and spill ink on national and international issues

PROFILE:

Who: Fatima Cassim
What: Aesthetic surgeon
Where: Pretoria
When: Long, irregular hours
How: Patience required.

#2

DESIGNER: SAALEHA IDREES BAMJEE

RATIONALE:

The concept behind this cover is to put focus on the ‘desktop’ nature of the author’s activism and this is why the sub-title has been typeset in a font similar to the twitter logo. Capping Azad’s gun with a USB drive speaks to the irreverence of his work, as well as further emphasising this idea of desktop activism/terrorism.

PROFILE:

Saaleha Idrees Bamjee is a freelance wordworker/print designer/ idea girl who’s in to writing, rhyming, blogging, paper-crafting, cooking and peaktime-traffic-karaoke. She blogs at www.saaleha.com and works at www.colournoun.co.za

#3

DESIGNER: YUSUF DAJEE

RATIONALE:

Like most South Africans, the winner of the Best Political Blog, Azad Essa would find a certain pride in being African as much as being South African. The idea of using Africa instead of South Africa stems from 2 thoughts: a recent sporting event that saw Africans share pain and glory together and playing on the perception of the rest of the World – one big 3rd world continent. Black and red add a phenomenal contrast; however using shades of brown was a clever way of alluding to the diverse mix of races and cultures Africa now has. In the science of colour, mix an array of colours, and you’ll end up wit some shade of brown.

I considered the target audience of 25+ adult, most of whom would be well educated and politically minded – my thoughts were that they would be intrigued by the title already, however a fun element to the typeface would inspire even a younger audience to have a read.

PROFILE:

Yusuf Dajee is a young, self-taught graphic designer. My designs do not speak in third person, and neither does this profile. I started out in 2007 in creative design, having had some exposure to the advertising industry. Teaching myself design has meant that I have been busy building a portfolio of work, and have done everything from print advertising to posters to menus. I like working with reputable companies – big and small – and learning in the advertising industry. My passion lies in finding a creative voice, and building a career as a “creative”.

#4

DESIGNER: SHUBNUM KHAN

RATIONALE:

The cover aims to convey a smart, simple and quirky idea of the contents of the book. The title and blurb need to be complimented by the design of the cover so that potential readers can quickly understand what Zuma’s Bastard is about. This was done by using busy words along the edges of the cover, which not only compliment the typewriter image but also compliment the blurb that this book is about writing. The words mix together and are in different sizes for two reasons. Firstly it indicates the nature of the writing: a busy mix of different thoughts and ideas that have common threads in each piece. Secondly it creates a design that is aesthetically pleasing while still remaining relevant to the nature of the book.

The image of an old fashioned typewriter was used to create a sense of old-fashioned values because while the writing is smart and edgy, the ideas of justice and integrity come strongly across in the writings.
The leaking ink from the typewriter indicates a twist in the writing, it adds a quirky element but also indicates this is not your conventional set of writings – there’s something more sinister, more unique and the rich black ink indicates there is something more intense about this writing.

PROFILE:

Shubnum Khan is a Durban-based writer and artist. When she is not destroying the planet by wasting gallons of water dreaming in the shower, she teaches Creative Writing and Media at UKZN.

#5

DESIGNER: SHUBNUM KHAN

RATIONALE:

I believe the colour red represents the essence of this writing: strong, clear and almost dangerous writing. A full red cover will stand out on the bookshelve and will catch the eye of a potential reader. Again, the cover is made to stand out because the strong black titles are placed vertically along the edge of the book as opposed to the usual horizontal style. This draws the attention of a reader who’s eye has already fallen on the red cover to inspect it closer. It also makes the title look edgier.

I drew an image of a pencil to firstly, indicate that this is a book about writing and secondly, I hoped the not-so-perfect hand drawn pencil would add a quirky edge to the serious, smart cover as the writings themselves are serious but also witty and slightly off-beat.

PROFILE:

Shubnum Khan is a Durban-based writer and artist. When she is not destroying the planet by wasting gallons of water dreaming in the shower, she teaches Creative Writing and Media at UKZN.

#6

DESIGNER: FATIMA CASSIM

RATIONALE:

Owing to the political nature of the book’s content, this book cover design adopts the visual language of a protest poster. The hand-made silk-screen feel of the design, coupled with the bold type and image, creates a sense of immediacy. Protest posters are temporal, yet powerful and in the same vain, the articles in the book deal with current affairs in an attention grabbing and arresting manner.

The colours that have been used echo the ubiquitous red, white and black colour scheme of many revolutionary posters. In this instance however, the turmeric yellow colour dominates and together with the red and olive-brown, hints at the Indian identity of the author. Further contextualisation is provided by way of the map of Africa. This implies that the author has his ear on the ground, and the pen behind the ear signals that the author is always ready to provide a wordy response.

Overall, the cover is assertive and like the writing, would provide an articulate voice amongst other books of the same genre

PROFILE:

Who: Fatima Cassim
What: Aesthetic surgeon
Where: Pretoria
When: Long, irregular hours
How: Patience required

—

Please forward all suggestions/recommendations to azadessa @ gmail . com