The Completed Book Covers

Illustrations and back cover synopses come together to convey the essence of the novels, as the space and folds of a book dust jacket become at once canvas and page, and meaning is pursued through visual and textual exploration. This project was conceived to disseminate Italian literature by drawing on the inspiration elicited by 20th Century Italian Classics in people from different cultural backgrounds.

Typeface used: Titillium, copyright Accademia di Belle Arti di Urbino

Completed book jackets:

• 1904: Luigi Pirandello, The Late Mattia Pascal
• Illustrator: Karolina Szymkiewicz (MA Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Giuseppe Episcopo (PhD Italian Studies, UoE)

• 1923: Italo Svevo, Zeno’s Conscience
• Illustrator: Borja Civantos Urrutia (Artist)
• Writer: Alberto Godioli (Visiting Fellow Italian Studies, UoE, PhD Italian Studies, Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa)

• 1929: Alberto Moravia, Times of Indifference
• Illustrator: Nai-Yen Chen (MA Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Christos Hadjiyiannis (PhD English Studies, UoE)

• 1940: Dino Buzzati, The Tartar Steppe
• Illustrator: Emily Hair (MFA Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Mario Prisco (PhD Italian Studies, St. Andrews University)

• 1950: Cesare Pavese, The Moon and the Bonfires
• Illustrator: AnChi Chen (MA Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Corey Gibson (PhD English Studies, UoE)

• 1957: Carlo Emilio Gadda, That Awful Mess on Via Merulana
• Illustrator: Astrid E Jaekel (MFA1 Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Christopher Ferguson (PhD Italian Studies, UoE)

• 1958: Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, The Leopard
• Illustrator: Patrizio Belcampo (Artist Printmaker)
• Writer: Carmela Pierini (PhD Italian Studies, St Andrews University)

• 1958: Primo Levi, If This is a Man
• Illustrator: Lefke Kerr (Artist)
• Writer: Siobhan Magee (PhD Social Anthropology, UoE)

• 1959: Pier Paolo Pasolini, A Violent Life
• Illustrator: Turine Viet-Tu TRAN (MA Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Corey Gibson (PhD English Studies, UoE)

• 1963: Natalia Ginzburg, Family Sayings
• Illustrator: Xiaomeng Yu (MA Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Silvia Villa (PhD English Literature, UoE)

• 1966: Leonardo Sciascia, To Each His Own
• Illustrator: Liam Golden (MFA1 Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Mario Prisco (PhD Italian Studies, St. Andrews University)

• 1969: Oriana Fallaci, Nothing and Amen
• Illustrator: Ching-Yu (MPhil Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Silvia Villa (PhD English Literature, UoE)

• 1972: Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
• Illustrator: Gary MacKean (MFA1 Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Christos Hadjiyiannis (PhD English Studies, UoE)

• 1985: Gianni Celati, Voices from the plains
• Illustrator: Joe Caslin (MFA1 Illustration, ECA)
• Writer: Myrto Petsota (PhD Italian Studies, UoE)

• 1993: Antonio Tabucchi, Pereira Maintains
• Illustrator: Sara Oskarsson (BA (Hons) Painting)
• Writer: Armando Rotondi (PhD Italian Studies, Strathclyde University)

About the Book Cover Project

20th Century Italian Classics

Book cover illustrations and back cover blurb

This project (concept by Carlo Pirozzi) aims to bring together post-graduate Italian and English studies fellows at Edinburgh University (UoE), Master Illustration students from Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) and others, to create the back cover text and book cover illustrations for 15 important 20th century Italian classics.

For the enjoyment of participating in a collaborative and cultural project, to raise awareness of Italian literature both visually and through the written word and to present the results at an exhibition during the Edinburgh Book Festival, 22nd to 29th August 2011 at the Italian Institute of Culture, Edinburgh. 

Please also read:

Illustration brief 

Illustration deadlines

Book Cover template details