Yehrin Tong for Virago Modern Classics 40th Anniversary editions
One year ago, the talented V&A Award winning illustrator Yehrin Tong was approached by Virago - a British publisher committed to championing women's voices - to work with them on a series of 13 books written by influential women writers throughout history, creating stunning title covers in her signature, widely admired repeat-pattern style.
Over the thirteen titles celebrating Virago’s 40th year, Yehrin worked closely with art director Hannah Wood to create intricate and contemporary patterns, with a focus on a diamond structure and working with negative space. The result is a breath-taking body of work that serves in celebrating the work of some of the key female voices in literature.
The books all feature the classic green spines which were a staple on all VMC titles, and along with heavier stock and foil detailing, these series of thirteen titles are released to celebrate 40 years of Virago championing the important - often overlooked - work of women writers.
As Editorial Director of the Virago Modern Classics, Donna Coonan says, 'If women’s stories aren’t published in all their variety, their voices are silenced and only part of human experience – both in the historical and imaginative landscapes – is represented. The Virago Modern Classics redrew the map to expose what had been hidden from view.
It provided a counterbalance to the existing male-dominated perspective. Creating a platform that values the female experience as equal to the male is crucial: storytelling is central to what it is to be human, and giving a voice to generations of important but neglected women writers benefits everyone. History is incomplete without them.'
Yehrin Tong is represented by Début Art