News / 30 Jul 2026
Recent Visual Communication graduate designs cover for special edition of Terry Pratchett novel
BA (Hons) Visual Communication
Recent BA (Hons) Visual Communication graduate Joe Bundock has been commissioned to create the cover for a special hardback edition of Terry Pratchett’s classic, Night Watch, after winning the 2026 Penguin Cover Design award.
Announced today by Doubleday and the Terry Pratchett estate, the clothbound hardback will be an adaptation of Joe’s design, using foils and including printed endpapers. It will be published on 29 October 2026.
Joe Bundock took first place in the adult fiction category of the 2026 Penguin Cover Design award for his work, inspired by medieval illuminated manuscripts and linocut printmaking. Night Watch is considered one of the finest of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, a satire on political power, but also a deeply empathetic novel about the importance of community, connection, and the tenacity of the human spirit.
“Being on the judging panel for this year’s Cover Design Award, I was so impressed with how Joe engaged with the brief and captured the spirit of Terry’s work.”
Rob Wilkins, Director of the Terry Pratchett Estate
“Finding out that my artwork was going to be used for an actual book cover was beyond incredible. It’s difficult to articulate just how amazing it is, knowing that my cover art will be illustrating the work of someone as impactful and monumental to the fantasy genre as Sir Terry Pratchett, it’s an honour beyond words. Revisiting the cover design and creating new artwork in tandem with the Penguin team has been such an incredible experience and I hope the design conveys the passion that was put into it and serves as a tribute to such a brilliant author and book series.”
Joe Bundock, BA (Hons) Visual Communication graduate
“What struck me most about Joe’s design was the very obviously hand-crafted work that went into the making of this cover, which is so impressive and great to see in this age of digital. It has a look that feels classic and could be adapted across a whole series. It speaks volumes that we felt this would easily adapt to a finished special edition of the book and we are so thrilled to facilitate this opportunity, it’s going to look so very impressive in finished printed form.”
Beci Kelly, Art Director at Transworld
The Penguin Cover Design Award nurtures new design and illustration talent in the publishing industry through real cover design briefs, written by Penguin art directors. Joe Bundock won the adult fiction category in 2026, whilst still a student at the University. BA (Hons) Illustration graduate Eleanor Deutz was also shortlisted in the children’s fiction category.