Penguin Random House commissions Laura Barrett to illustrate the cover for the darkly enchanting novel, The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale

Laura Barrett was thrilled to be commissioned by Ebury Publishing (Penguin Random House) to illustrate the cover for the darkly enchanting novel, The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale, set in a Victorian toyshop. We asked her a little about the project.

“Working with designer and art director Clare Stacey at Head Design, we tried to capture the enchantment and nostalgia of the story- during the design process, we went through several versions of the cover, trying to convey a magical feel yet also ensuring it looked like an adult fiction title, rather than a children’s book. I loved the chance to discover more about Victorian shopfronts and children’s toys and visited The V&A Museum of Childhood as research.

I was thrilled when the publisher decided to reuse my illustration for the paperback edition, with title lettering by Peter Horridge, featuring gold foiling and even limited edition red sprayed edges. I also created several chapter header illustrations throughout the book”.