The Wanderer in African American Literature

Book Cover Design

Client: UT Press
Art Direction and Design: Elisa Razak

The wandering figure is a motif central in African American literary work, shaping stories from slave narratives to contemporary fiction. Through the figure’s journey across geographic, social and cultural boundaries, it navigates underlying themes of identity, freedom and belonging. For the cover, I sought to illustrate that figure on its journey — as footsteps of paths travelled and birds as a symbol of freedom and new futures.