The cover for the new Vintage Classics edition of “Swallows and Amazons” has won the prestigious 2013 V&A Book Cover Illustration Award for the Finnish illustrator Pietari Posti.

The winning design is one of several he has created for the “Swallows and Amazons” series, the others being for “Swallowdale”, “Peter Duck”, “Winter Holiday”, “Coot Club” and “Pigeon Post”.

Posti, a graphic design graduate of Lahti University in Finland who is currently based in Barcelona, said of his designs: 

“I wanted to keep the spirit of the 30s on the covers but without feeling too ´old´ or outdated. Something that felt at the same time both vintage, and fresh. I think the limited colour palette of bright orange and fresh blues were a good choice for the series keeping all the covers united but still giving enough room for variation, and making each cover unique. The water is obviously an important element in the series, so I wanted to give it a really visible graphic treatment because it plays such an important role.”

The Vintage Classics editions of “Swallows and Amazons”, “Swallowdale”, “Peter Duck” and “Winter Holiday” are all available from the Nancy Blackett Shop. the proceeds of which go toward the ongoing preservation of the Nancy Blackett.