The Road to the Salt Sea is the forthcoming debut novel from Nigerian writer Samuel Kọ́láwọlé likened to the works of Omar El Akkad and Mohsin Hamid’s. Set to release on July 2 from Amistad Press, the novel follows a lowly hotel worker whose life collides with a sex work and a dangerous guest. Throughout Kọ́láwọlé explores the Nigerian class system and how fate and fortune are fickle things.
To capture the essence of the saga, Amistad worked with designer Alicia Tatone, who explained her approach to book cover design.
“My process pretty much always begins the same way: reading the manuscript, taking notes, and sketching,” said Tatone. “For this project, I envisioned a clear and simple scene that I wanted to illustrate: our protagonist Able God on his journey, standing alone in the midst of an enigmatic, abstract landscape. Is it a road? Is it the sea? I wanted to leave a bit of mystery as to where exactly he is in the journey, so as not to give away too much to the reader, but it needed to be clear that this was a lonesome and dangerous odyssey.”
Once Tatone finished her designs, she sent them back to Kọ́láwọlé and the Amistad team.
“Seeing the cover made everything feel so real, so that was exciting,” said the debut author. “We had a couple of options but chose one of the most visually striking designs that accurately illustrated the novel’s concept. The colors, while vibrant, are not too flashy. I love how the red and tributary-like pattern on the cover depicts the idea of the precariousness of the protagonist’s journey. He is not the only traveler in the novel, but the story revolves around him.”
debutiful 
This is a great cover – very captivating. I love it!
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