Penguin Random House UK is collaborating with the Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft to bring lovers of book cover design 20 years of Penguin Essentials; a showcase of 100 iconic covers from the Penguin Essentials collection which spans the last 20 years.

The Penguin Essentials series was launched in 1998 as a collection of modern classics with thought-provoking, striking and unconventional cover design. The launch was led by Art Director, John Hamilton, who purposefully commissioned a diverse and eclectic selection of creatives from around the world – from graffiti artists to tattooists to illustrators to fashion designers – to rethink and reinvigorate the covers of modern classics.

Brian Cairns is an exhibitor on the 100 most effective covers selected to exhibit.

Many of the creatives John and his team have commissioned hadn’t designed book covers before and were not tied to the norms and formulae of cover design. John has famously instructed his designers to “do what you do” and ignore publishing conventions, resulting in one of the boldest, most creative and daring book series of the last 50 years.