Stephen Embleton

 It was a privilege to design the logo for the  Akachi Ezeigbo Prize for Literature . Having met Professor Akachi, and been in discussion on various panels with her, with much respect for her own literary work and her work in literature, particularly in Nigeria, I had to design something with an elegant and colourful flair. As a daughter of Nigeria, I thought what more fitting icon than the national flower of Nigeria:  Costus Spectabilis – the yellow trumpet flower. At the FT Weekend Oxford Lit Fest April 2022 At the James Currey Lit Fest Sept 2022 First, the bright yellow colour and shape of the flower, and then the rounded shape of the chunky leaves – with their distinct purple edging gave me the second colour to be incorporated. After a few iterations, I began to simplify my illustration of the yellow flower down to the bare essentials, and looking to many of the bold and colourful fabrics from Nigeria as another reference point. At the end, I happily found it lent itself to a patt

I was invited to design the logo for the newly established Henry Louis Gates Jr Fellowship at the University of Cambridge . Working on a distinguished subject is nothing to be taken lightly and every effort was taken to ensure Mr Gates' persona, stature and legacy were represented with dignity – to last for years to come. September 2022 Example against a colour/dark background I decided to use a simple black (dark blue) and white treatment for the portrait rather than a detailed illustration, and relying on the negative space and shadows to create the final effect – no outline or outside edge to the white highlights on Henry Louis Gates Jr's face. And therefore important that it always displays against white. This would give the logo more impact and strength no matter the size. I then opted for simple typography – the main logo featuring the lettering arcing above the head of Henry Louis Gates Jr. Although I would have liked to incorporate the red, yellow and black of the univ

 It was really exciting to be asked by the Waterberg Wild Dog Initiative (WWDI) to design two road signs – to be approved by SANRAL (The South African National Roads Agency). One was a Warning sign (a "yield" animal crossing), and the second being an Information sign (wild dogs in the area, and WWDI logo/details). Wild Dog Road Sign Seen out in the wild... African Wild Dog Road Sign Installed 14 September 2022 Many road users around South Africa would know of the signs which include the leaping Kudu, the warthog etc, to warn drivers of wildlife which may cross their paths. With this in mind – and a solid framework of guides and requirements from SANRAL – I created the walking dog profile, followed by the front-on wild dog portrait. Wild Dog Warning Signage Information Signage These will then be used by any organisation wanting to bring attention to wild dogs and their conservation and protection in their areas around the country. It was important to keep the illustrations as

 We were fortunate enough to be hosted by the Weston Library, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford for the inaugural James Currey Literary Festival from 1st to 3rd September 2022. A jam packed programme with guests and attendees from all over the globe, talking African Literature! James Currey Being on 5 Panels (and the short story anthology book launch) I was given the opportunity to discuss vital issues related to African literature, as well as listen to the opinions, ideas and experiences of the other guests and speakers.  Participating in (and helping organise and plan) the inaugural James Currey Literary Festival held at the Weston Library, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford. I was on 5 panels, as well as doing a fifth event – a book launch. The New African Writers Series and the Future of African Publishing Are young people reading? Who is translating our books? What is the fate of Sci-fi in Africa? What Can We Do for James Currey? His legacy and more... Special Book La