Whose cover is it anyway? Cultural appropriation and the ethics of cover design

As the debate about better representation in publishing continues, most of the focus is on diversity and inclusivity from a writer or publishing team perspective. But what about the design process? There is increasing concern about cultural appropriation in cover and book design.

Thought is increasingly given (or not) to using a designer who is culturally related to the content, but practical questions remain on how this is integrated into practice.

• What is the experience of the designer from a racialized group?
• Can designers from a different background respectfully design content about or by culturally marginalized people and topics?
• When – and why – is it necessary for the content and the designer to be the same culture?
• How does this work financially for publishers, especially those with limited resources and/or in house design capacity?

On Wednesday 16th November, 6-7 pm GMT, Linda Secondari and our guest speakers will share their direct experience of these issues. From an art director and designer tasked with relating to a culturally different background, through to the experience of being a designer from an underrepresented community. Drawing on current practice and historical precedents, they will discuss how it is, and how culturally appropriate cover design should be.