Début create branding, graphic design & illustration

We’ve been delighted to work with new literary publisher in the region, Offa’s Press, in the run up to their launch.

‘Offa’s Press is dedicated to publishing and promoting the best in contemporary West Midland poetry and poets. It will do this through a series of publications and performances where the watchword will be ‘good on the page and good on stage’.

We were commissioned to design the Offa’s Press identity, and the layout and design of the first three publications;  Bright Morning by Jane Seabourne, River Passage by Jeff Phelps and Upsetting the Apple Cart by Emma Purshouse – including quirky illustrations of Emma’s ’strip poetry’ routine (artwork above).

Offa’s Press is committed to promoting and supporting regional literature, and this ethos also extends to their choice of suppliers; sourcing not only design and print in the region, but also adopting Baskerville – designed in 1757 by John Baskerville, in Birmingham – as the house font. The painting, Garden No. 8, used on the cover of Bright Morning is by regional artist John Hampton and photographed by Wolverhampton-based photographer Dave Finchett.

True to the regional theme and Offa’s Press’ historical roots, all involved were invited to a champagne lunch and afternoon hike along a stretch of Offa’s Dyke; a linear earthwork which roughly follows the Welsh/English boundary, where it is hoped writer development workshops will be held in the near future. Editor, Simon Fletcher, drew comparisons between the Staffordshire Hoard and Offa’s Press poets, describing the literary talent in the region as being overlooked – and now unearthed, like ‘hidden treasure’.

For more information on Offa’s Press, writer development and events or to purchase the publications, please visit their site.

In addition to Offa’s Press, we are also currently working with two poets on their personal websites and yet another poetry themed project, the Rhymes from the Rocks identity and website (sneak preview above).

Rhymes from the Rocks showcases both written and recorded poems by young people and is funded by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and the Arts Council England:

‘Rhymes from the Rocks is a project linked to the fossil festival – a celebration of the unique geological heritage of Dudley and the Black Country. It is designed to inspire and engage young people through creative writing and the performing arts. The source material for new writing produced is the geology of the Black Country and its storehouse of unusual and beautiful objects.’

Watch this space – we’ll be posting more information on the design of the Rhymes from the Rocks website once the site goes live.

Tags: Arts Council England, Dave Finchett, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Emma Purshouse, Jane Seabourne, Jeff Phelps, Offa's Press, Rhymes from the Rocks, Simon Fletcher

This entry was posted on Friday, May 28th, 2010 at 1:28 am and is filed under Debut news, Identity/Logo, Literature, Poetry, Projects, Website. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.