Aarushi Menon
Pronouns: she/her
Where are you from?: New Delhi, India
Identity: South Asian
Languages: English and Hindi
Where do you currently work at?: Random House as a Junior Cover Designer
One favorite book you've worked on and why?: One book cover that I truly loved working on was for Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang. The novel is a heart-wrenching exploration of colonialism in a speculative setting, that skillfully blends fantasy and literary fiction genre conventions. Throughout the process, I was just incredibly proud and excited to be working on such a remarkable book. My art director, Regina, really inspired me to experiment with my designs for this cover, and the editorial team, publishers, author and agent all enthusiastically encouraged the direction we proposed for the final package. We also collaborated with the wonderful Elwira Pawlikowska for the illustration. It’s definitely a standout piece in my portfolio.
How did you get into design?: When I was little, I used to take stacks of printer paper from my parents’ study, folding the sheets together and stapling them into “books.” I’d doodle on the covers, and then promptly abandon the otherwise blank sheets of paper in some dusty corner, much to my parents’ annoyance.
This is to say that I’ve always loved art and reading, and despite my parents' frustration about misused printer paper, they really encouraged me to pursue those passions.
What do you like about being a book designer in publishing? : I love that I get to indulge in two of my favorite hobbies (art and reading, of course) and that I can grow my design skills in such a supportive environment, surrounded by extremely talented people (who just so happen to also be my design heroes!).
What's one goal you have for yourself in this industry?: I really want to design a green book cover!