The team at Bridget Williams Books joins with the publishing community around Aotearoa in mourning the loss of designer Keely O'Shannessy. Lucy Mackintosh, author of Shifting Grounds and friend of Keely, shares the following words:
'When I wrote my book, I knew I wanted Keely to design the cover. She is a dear friend, and she is a phenomenal book designer and cover artist. We met for coffee and I described the book to her. I didn’t discuss any specific ideas for the cover, just that I wanted something abstract that in some way captured the tone and content of the book. She listened carefully and didn’t say a lot. She went away and came back a few weeks later with that cover, which was so perfect that I cried when I saw it. It was so moving to see such a beautiful and insightful artistic response to my work.
She also did the text design and illustrations for the opening pages of each chapter. I loved every single one of them. They captured everything that I was trying to say in words, with a subtlety and spaciousness that felt exactly right. It was so special working with Keely – I knew she was great company, stylish and as sharp as a tack, but I also learnt that she has an artistic sensibility and a rigorous work ethic that is second to none. It was a wonderful collaboration between writer and artist. Between friends. I am so sad that we have lost her, but I am glad that I will always see her in the pages of my book.'
Keely also designed the striking covers for Te Motunui Epa by Rachel Buchanan, Blood and Dirt by Jared Davidson and the forthcoming Captain Cook and the Unsettled Afterlives of Empire by Tony Ballantyne.
We send our love to Keely's whānau.