28/05/2026
There’s a quiet change happening in publishing right now. And it looks a lot like this cover. When Book Hub Publishing began work on 'Mar a Deirtear' or, in English, 'As the Saying Goes' last year, we made a deliberate choice: work with a human illustrator to create something rooted in warmth, memory, place, and personality and not a machine-generated approximation of it.
We believe the result is a cover that feels unmistakably Irish with a rolling meadow of wildflowers, soft pastel skies, playful sheep with expressive eyes and a weathered suitcase hinting at travel, migration, language, and story. Even the butterflies carry movement and lightness reflecting how phrases and sayings travel across generations.
We borrowed Niall to come in and assist us with a cover concept and having obtained this, we then collaborated with an Irish illustrator we have worked with on another project because cultural texture matters a great deal to us and this book. A phrasebook is not just vocabulary. It is identity, humour, rhythm, history, and belonging.
In a publishing landscape increasingly flooded with AI-generated visuals, readers are beginning to truly value authenticity again. According to recent publishing and creative industry reports:
76% of consumers say human-created content feels more trustworthy and emotionally engaging and, of course, the global creative sector supports over 50 million jobs worldwide with many now under pressure from generative AI systems.
Independent publishing audiences consistently respond more positively to artwork with visible human style, imperfection, and individuality. And you can feel the difference as AI can imitate aesthetics. It cannot replicate lived culture, intuition, or emotional storytelling.
For us, this cover wasn’t simply packaging. It was part of the book’s voice, of Giselle's and Máirtín's voices.
Mar a Deirtear/As the Saying Goes celebrates Irish and English phrases side by side and the artwork reflects that same bridge between tradition and accessibility.
Huge credit to our talented Irish illustrator Sarah Passman Illustrations who helped bring this vision to sparkling life alongside the Book Hub Publishing team. Sometimes the old ways still create the strongest connection.
©Susan McKenna, Director Book Hub Publishing. May 2026.
