THE GRACEKEEPERS - Kirsty Logan
The Gracekeepers is an extraordinary magical first novel about a world that is almost entirely sea. North lives on a circus boat with her bear, floating between the scattered islands that remain. Callanish, the Gracekeeper, lives alone in her house in the middle of the ocean, with only the birds and the fish for company. When a storm creates a chance meeting between the two girls, their worlds change.
The cover for The Gracekeepers started out as a sketch on the manuscript (see above). The first idea was to have a mirroring of the two main characters, above and below the waterline. Illustrator Felicita Sala was commissioned to develop this theme, based on the work seen in her sketchbooks. Her characters are exceptional, they have a sophisticated line and a broad commercial appeal. As the cover evolved, the layout changed and simplified. The characters were now mirrored on the front and back cover. Felicita also illustrated the map on the endpapers and the boards – where, once the cover is removed, you discover what is under the sea.
Felicita Sala was born in Rome but grew up in Perth, Australia. She graduated in philosophy from the university of WA and now lives and works in Rome as a painter and illustrator.
Published in April 2015 by Harvill Secker
