Spirits in Bondage

Publisher

Lexham Press

Designer(s)

Micah Ellis

Art Director

Brittany Schrock

ISBN

9781683593706

Designer Comments

This was the first book C. S. Lewis published. He was not yet a Christian and was writing on the heels of World War I. In his poems, he sees life, with its beauty and sense of longing, always ending in death and decay. To depict that tension, I paired the beautiful florals with a skull. Later, as a follower of Christ, Lewis would write, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

Judge Comments

The vintage engraving of the skull mixed with the foliage was stunning. It felt appropriate for a C.S. Lewis book without being fussy or grandiose or faux historical. The color palette walked the tension of feeling somber but also beautiful and engaging; it almost is the color of a foggy morning. It has a mystery that drew each of us to it. – ML

Literary Category

Poetry