Designing a Cover That Carries History
- Elani Coetzer
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
There is still something magical about holding a printed book in your hands.
In a world of screens, scrolling, and endless digital content, books remain one of the few things we still want to physically hold, display, underline, lend to friends, and place on a coffee table. There is something deeply satisfying about feeling the texture of a cover, turning the pages, and seeing an idea come to life in print.
That is exactly what made designing the cover for Once Known: A History of Slavery in Westford, MA such a meaningful experience.
Written by author and historian Leslie Gwen Howard, this book explores a part of Westford’s history that many people never knew existed. For more than fifty years, tax records and church records quietly documented the lives of enslaved men, women, and children in Westford, Massachusetts. Yet their stories were largely forgotten.
This book carefully brings those stories back into view. It traces what can be known about at least twenty enslaved individuals in the town and asks readers to think more deeply about what it means to truly know the history of a place.
From the beginning, Leslie had a very clear vision for the emotional tone of the cover. She wanted it to feel historical, thoughtful, and respectful. We worked very closely together throughout the process, sharing ideas, references, textures, colors, and symbolism.
The final design features an antique candle holder, wrapped in handwritten script, set against a dark textured background. The candle became an important symbol in the design process. It represents remembrance, light, dignity, and the idea of bringing hidden stories out of the darkness and back into view.
The handwritten script layered into the candle holder was equally important. It gives the cover a sense of age and history, almost as if the book itself has emerged from old archives, town records, and forgotten documents.
The dark green background helped create a feeling of richness and gravity, while the elegant typography added a sense of care and timelessness. Every element was chosen intentionally to reflect the heart of the story inside.
One of the most rewarding parts of being a designer is getting to help tell someone else’s story visually. In this case, it was especially meaningful because the subject matter is so important and because Leslie was such a thoughtful and collaborative partner throughout the process.
There is nothing quite like finally holding the finished book in your hands after weeks of ideas, revisions, proofs, and conversations. Seeing the cover in print for the first time is always special—but even more so when the story inside matters this much.
Finally, receiving a signed copy of the book and good feedback from the author was the cherry on top!
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