Salinger titles to be re-launched with new author-approved cover designs

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Following the death of American author J.D. Salinger on January 27, the author's publisher, Penguin imprint Hamish Hamilton based in the UK, announced its plans to re-launch its Salinger titles with new cover designs approved by the author. The books will be published in June.

Salinger was famously particular about cover designs. Hamish Hamilton publishing director Simon Prosser told Relaxnews, "the most important [of Salinger's specifications] was that he refused to have any images on his covers, so they could only be typographic designs. He also wouldn't allow any copy at all to appear on the cover, so that meant that there could be no blurb, quotes or even biography anywhere on the cover or prelims of his books."

The publisher had planned the re-launch before Salinger's death and the age of 91 and had already sought the author's approval of the cover designs from his UK and US agents. At the time of his death, the reclusive author had not published a title since 1965.

The re-launched titles include The Catcher in the Rye, Franny and Zooey, Raise High the Roof Beams, Carpenters with Seymore: An Introduction, and For Esmé, With Love and Squalor.