Jorge González, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Folio Society, 2023)
We are in Barcelona, in 1945, and Daniel, the son of an antiquarian book dealer, becomes fascinated with a book, The Shadow of the Wind, by Julian Carax.
Daniel sets out to find the author's other works.
Award winning, Argentinian artist Jorge González uses pencil, charcoals, soft pastels and oil pastels to create the stunning images visualising the atmosphere evoked by Zafón's expressive writing.
Jorge, who has illustrated numerous graphic novels and is even the author of some of them, lives in Spain.
View more work by the artist on his page here.
Dawn is breaking in post-war Barcelona when Daniel’s father guides him through the mist to a mysterious building hidden in the heart of the old city. Here, in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, ten-year-old Daniel is allowed to choose one story from the thousands of abandoned volumes that line the labyrinthine corridors. Inexplicably drawn to The Shadow of the Wind, the boy clutches his prize, unaware of the fantastical and frightening chain of events that its discovery triggers; a mystery that will see him embark on a dangerous quest to reveal the book’s shocking secrets.
View it on The Folio Society's website
The Victoria & Albert Museum in London has been running an illustration competition since 1972 when the Francis Williams Awards were presented for the best illustrated books.
New categories have been added since then and over 2000 entries were submitted for this latest competition, covering artworks from the period 2022 – 23 in five categories: Adult Fiction, Adult Non-Fiction, Advertising and Commercial, Illustration for Children, and Emerging Illustrator.
Visit the V&A Illustration Awards displays at V&A South Kensington.
Original sketches and finished artworks, from album cover designs to animations are on show in Room 102. A popup display of selected winning books can be seen outside the National Art Library from 18 September 2024 to 21 September 2025.
With our thanks to The Folio Society.
You can purchase your copy of the book here