Natalie Lemle is a writer and visual art advisor who founded the Boston and Montreal-based advisory art_works. Her debut novel, Artifacts, is something she has been thinking about for years. “The seed of it is probably my obsession with ancient things,” she told her MFA alma mater Emerson shortly after the novel sold. “I don’t know where that came from; it’s not something anyone else in my family was super interested in. But ever since I can remember, I’ve been captivated by archeology.”
The novel follows a lawyer who once dreamed of being an archeologist and, years later, realizes she may have played a role in looting a valuable site in the Italian Alps. Artifacts is set to be published by Simon & Schuster on May 29, 2026.
Debutiful is honored to reveal the cover, designed by David Fassett, along with a Q&A with Natalie Lemle about its creation.
While writing the book, did you have any ideas for what you wanted the cover to look like?
For as much as this is a book about art, the idea of distilling it into a single compelling image seemed daunting, even impossible! I didn’t have a clear vision for the cover, though I did have ideas when it came to the overall vibe. Also, I’m an art advisor in my day job so I also have an intimate understanding of how subjective artwork can be. But if anything I hoped the cover would convey the different historical and emotional layers of the story, and so my mind went to assemblage and collage. Two of my favorite living artists are Taryn Simon and Sara Cwynar—they both work with archives and photo collage. But then again, the examples of their work that best capture Artifacts’ themes don’t necessarily translate to a book cover. Which is all to say, I felt genuinely open-minded.
Can you explain what the design process was like once you started working with your publishing team?
They sent a couple different directions, and it was clear to me a lot of thought had gone into each one. I could tell they were engaging with the book’s themes on a conceptual level rather than a purely visual one. When I saw the version that became the final cover, I had an immediate gut reaction (in a good way)—it was beautiful, mysterious, and layered. It felt both inevitable and totally unexpected. From there we refined it a bit, but all in all it was a smooth and swift process!
What was it like seeing your finalized cover for the first time?
It made everything feel real in the best way. For the first time I could actually picture the book out in the world, waiting for a reader to pick it up at a bookstore. It actually gave me a sense of closure, too—it doesn’t belong to me anymore.
How does the cover work to convey what the contents of the story are?
I love how the cover suggests both layers and fragments. You have a mix of physical objects, colors, and textures, but also a sense of what’s been lost or obscured. The negative space of the missing cup (spoiler alert!) points to both its absence and discovery. My personal favorite element is the imperial porphyry background, which speaks to both a specific plot point in the book but also the general idea that history is told by the victors. And then there’s the title itself—its stunning and unique font, and the way it conveys the idea of instability. I love how ART and FACTS are in tension with each other, which perfectly captures one of the book’s central questions about beauty and truth.