The Book Cover Wars Final 2021 - The Winner & the End is HERE

Hello Everybody! This is the very final post on Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books. We have been around for the last thirteen years but have finally taken the decision to stop posting on this blog. It would have been wonderful to find someone to take this over but alas this has not been the case. We've all had challenging times in the last year so it has been a very difficult decision to make. I've had a blast running the blog and thoroughly enjoyed every minute but, at some point, the pressure that I've been putting on myself to do a better job needs to come to an end.

As you know, we wanted to celebrate the challenging times with one more final of the book cover wars. It has been a highlight of mine and something I have enjoyed doing every year. It was such a great opportunity, when we started this idea, to celebrate the talented people and the unsung heroes behind some of our favourite and iconic book covers. This competition was embraced by the children's book community and made for some nail-biting moments which entertained us all. 

This year was another cracking moment with five superb rounds. The final managed to gain great momentum with 955 votes - just what we wanted - including some great banter on social media.  The final came to a fantastic conclusion last night where we found another excellent winner .... the fantastic book cover to the latest book by Nizrana Farook - The Boy Who Met a Whale illustrated by David Dean and Designer Nicola Theobald and published this Jan 2021 by Nosy Crow Books.  It's a brilliant book cover illustration (it makes you want to read the book straight away) and really deserves to join the hall of fame with all the past winners across the years. Many Congratulations!

 Here is the list below:

2009/10 - Jon Mayhew 'Mortlock' Illustrated by Christian Lorenz Scheurer

2010/11 - Darren Shan 'Birth of a Killer' Illustrated by David Wyatt

2011/12 - Curtis Jobling 'Werewolf: Shadow of the Hawk' Illustrated by Andrew Farley

2012/13 - Thomas Taylor 'Haunters' Illustrated by Steve Wells 

2013/14 - Niel Bushnell 'Timesmith' Illustrated by James Fraser 

2014/15 - M. G. Harris/Gerry Anderson's 'Gemini Force One' Black Horizon Illustrated by Blacksheep

2015/16 -  M. G. Leonard 'Beetle Boy' Illustrated by Julia Sarda 

2016/17 - Roderick Gordon 'Summerhouse Land' - Illustrated by Stanley Donwood

2017/18 - (No Book Cover Wars) 

2018/19 - Vashti Hardy 'Brightstorm: A Sky-Ship Adventure' Illustrated by George Ermos 

2019/20 - Joan Haig - Tiger Skin Rug - Illustrated by Annie Glennie

2020/21 - Nizrana Farook - The Boy Who Met a Whale - Illustrated by David Dean

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support by visiting, reading, contributing and sending out books for me to read over the years. Without all of you, there was no point in this blog. You've all been there when I've been low and picked me back up many times in previous years. I'll still be around - no doubt lurking on Twitter - if you want a recommendation or wee chat. In the meantime, with a heavy heart I thank you one last time for reading this post. Stay safe, stay happy and keep on reading!