The Scandal of the Century
Categories:
Historic elegance for a scandalous tale – an ornate cover design honouring England’s first professional female writer.
Overview
Commissioned by Penguin Random House, I designed the cover for The Scandal of the Century, Lisa Hilton’s biography of Aphra Behn, England’s first professional female writer.
The lettering takes inspiration from 17th-century decorative styles, with a decorative ‘A’ featuring a quill pen crossbar.
Method
I developed the monogram with intricate flourishes and balanced ornamentation, ensuring it felt both historical and refined.
The surrounding typography is set in my typeface Span, chosen for its timeless elegance and ability to balance both modern and historical themes.
Outcome
The final cover captures the drama and historical richness of Behn’s life, blending period detail with an eye-catching colour combination.
The design has been well received for its striking execution and tribute to one of literature’s great pioneers.
Everyone loved the cover, we had a great response from retailers!
