Prologue

Books.

Writing is an art form that exercises one's mind and imagination but a book is more than just written words. Much has been said about the virtues of books and their contribution to the human civilisation, so that is not what this blog is about.

Antique papyrus, showing the god Osiris and the weighing of the heart.
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The history of books, dates back to the history of writing itself – from clay tablets and papyrus, on to parchment or vellum and silk to eventually, paper. Apart from the medium, the format of books also changed with time, from clay tablets to scrolls and then came the codex (which replaced the scroll sometime between the 2^nd and the 4^th century AD). That is when the book ceased to be a continuous roll but a collection of sheets, stacked and attached at one end, often with a cover that is thicker than the sheets. This format was so effective that 1500 years later, it is still the standard book form, the introduction of paper (and the eventual printing press) making books cheaper, allowing for greater dissemination of knowledge.

Now that I have brought you up to speed with the history of books, lets get to the point. The one thing that hasn't changed in books is the art that goes next to the written word. Yes, look closely at the parchments, the ancient manuscripts and you will find them replete with illustrations, sometimes in the form of a simple line drawing and at other times as a big and beautiful full page and full colour painting. A picture is worth a thousand words, they said. Turns out we knew that as far back as the 2^nd century BC in China when writing on wood, bones, shell and silk existed. No matter what the form, illustrations have always existed with the written word.

Shirin O Khusrau, 1713 AD. The 2nd poem of Khusrau's Khamsa narrated the romance
between Prince Khusrau Parvez, Emperor of Iran and Princess Shirin.

So, what are hieroglyphs but illustrations masquerading as words?

And that, is the point of this series, Art in Books. Today, bookcovers are not just created to protect the delicate stories within but are a potent tool where the exciting world of art and design meets the (slightly mundane) world of marketing. They used to say, 'Do not judge a book by its cover.' But walk past a book shelf and lets see you stop yourself from picking up a book because of its beautifully illustrated cover.

So the point of this blog is really simple. For years I have been 'judging' books based on their covers. There have been times when I bought a second copy of a book just because I like the cover. I am sure I am not the only one who has done that. And I am sure that those of you who admit to this vice are aware of the raised eyebrows you invoke from your friends and family. I say to you, let them raise their eyebrows to the stratosphere if they so desire for they fail to grasp the joys that the discovery of a beautifully penciled illustrated can bring to the the mind and the eyes. Their gravity-defying forehead moustaches are not going to stop us from appreciating the beauty of books.

A book then, is not just about the author, but also about the illustrator who steps into the world created by our author and recreates that world for us to see outside of our minds. It could be in the form of the cover art, or it could be an illustrated edition of your favourite novel and of course there is an entire genre of graphic novels open to us that are a testimony to how illustrations enhance storytelling.

Through these posts, I will share with you some of my favourite book covers and my thoughts behind them. Where possible, I will also try to compile input from the authors, illustrators, publishers as I have started to realise that such interactions are often available online. So, lets start this journey together...