Whose Book and Cover Designs are the Best of 2018?

The winning entries from 2018.

Announcing the 2018 50 Books | 50 Covers selections.

AIGA and Design Observer’s 50 Books | 50 Covers competition, which reviews and awards the best of book and cover designs published within the past year, has announced the winning cover and winning book selections. These selections become part of a nearly century-long tradition.

Jurors Daphne Geismar, Henk van Assen, and Lucinda Hitchcock.

This competition continues a tradition that dates back over ninety years, when American Institute of Graphic Arts, mounted the show The Fifty Books of 1923. The exhibition went right to the heart of what the then-fledgling profession held dear: the design and production of books. In an age where reading increasingly happens on screens, it is clear from the winning entries that designers and publishers are not just resigned to the new world but are actively challenging it. The jury—chaired by Jessica Helfand and consisting of Lucinda Hitchcock, Daphne Geismar, and Henk van Assen—carefully considered the over 700 entries from 29 countries, including Australia, Brazil, India, Iran, Norway, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. These selections are the best of the best.

We are happy to continue our commitment to books and book design, and feel honored to get to sit in a room with all the amazing entries!