Church of Snails
Studio: Paul Belford Ltd
Team: Paul Belford, Eleanor Robertson
Credits: —
Date: 2019
Church of Snails is book of poems from unconventional minister Lucy Berry. Former poet-in-residence for the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2, Lucy has wrestled with the essential meaning of Christian life for many years. In this collection, she tries to understand why some churches are so reluctant to change or to adapt.
Lucy asked us to design a cover that would be eye-catching, thought-provoking and provocative. Since the project was self-funded, the challenge was to find an impactful yet cost-effective publishing solution. The design was shortlisted for the 2020 D&AD Awards.
Responding to the book’s central theme of sluggishness we used clear foil blocking to trace a meandering path of slime over an uncoated green board. Inside, the pages double as a flip book featuring a mollusc moving slowly backwards, reflecting Lucy’s feelings about many churches today.