Portrait of a Cover Artist - Sarah Toufika

The Ekushey Grantha Mela plays an essential role in the life of cover artist and illustrator, Sarah Toufika. She believes that the books published in the fair every year, bring immense joy in readers' lives.

Sarah illustrated the covers for five children's books at the fair this year. She had a keen interest in the field of art from a young age, and especially enjoys working on children's books. She mostly works with digital tools. "I always prioritise the central character of a story while designing a cover," says Sarah. "I carefully go through the scripts, taking my time. Sometimes, I even read it more than once.”

According to the artist, this year's Ekushey Boi Mela was well organised, but certain improvements need to be made for the future. “The management committee did a great job organising the fair. However, the quality of the books need to be taken into consideration,” mentions Sarah.

She admires the work of artists Sabyasachi Mistry, Dhruba Esh, Biplob Chakrabarty, Shamim Ahmed and Arafat Karim, among others. Over the years, she designed children's books written by Dhruba Esh, Rizwanul Islam and others.