There is a woman by the name of Louise James who bears the distinction of having appeared on more of my book covers than anyone else has. Okay, so considering real life models have been used sparingly in my book cover designs, that might be something of a dubious honour.
But her image has graced the covers of “Maggie’s Children”, “Besotted” (two different cover designs) and “Crime & Irresponsibility”. She may well feature on the cover of the reprint of “Peeling the Onion”, if that ever comes to fruition (and if I can actually find the original photographs – lost on a broken hard drive).
So who is Louise James, and why has she appeared on many of my book covers?
I’ve known Louise for a long time. We first met at HM Land Registry, where we both worked as civil servants. Louise was a smartly dressed young woman, and I was (and indeed still am) ten years older and less well groomed. She doesn’t recall the first time we met, when I was working as a union rep carrying out DSE assessments in line with bureaucratic health and safety red tape, but I remember her. We became friends a few years later, when we were both moved into the same team. We’d both recently gone through marriage break-ups, and we spent a few lunchtimes in the local pub trying to work out what life was all about. I don’t even think that back then Louise was aware that I was a writer, with a couple of published novels under my belt, but I knew that she’d done some modelling (all very tasteful). We ended up dating for a brief period, and we remained friends even after we separated. In fact, we dated briefly for three different periods, but back then I was something of a beer monster, and drank too much to concentrate on a proper relationship. My loss. Trust me when I say that.
As I knew that Louise had modelled before, I suggested to her that we do a photo shoot, with the idea of using some of the photos for upcoming book covers. She agreed, even though we weren’t dating at the time. The books I wanted to cover were “Maggie’s Children” and “Crime & Irresponsibility”, both near to completion. I have to say that she looked stunning when she came out after each costume change. For “Maggie’s Children”, I wanted a depressed woman on the cover, to represent Saul’s bipolar wife, Sara. Many have said that most women who have dated me have become depressed, but thankfully Louise wasn’t one of them. We tried a few different poses, but this was the one I decided upon. And before you ask, yes, Louise was wearing underwear (in addition to one of my old work shirts).
Above – The original photo for the “Maggie’s Children” cover, before it was photoshopped. Below – The final version of the original cover. Louise has been mirrored so that the title text could be placed on the right.
What else can I tell you about Louise? She still works in the civil service, she has a daughter (I recall taking her out for a drink in my local town of Stamford, when she was heavily pregnant) ……
When I asked whether Louise would be happy to pose for some photos for the cover of “Besotted”, she obliged. I believe we met up after she finished work and headed off back to hers. The photos were taken in front of a wall round the back of her house (a bit like behind the bike sheds at school), and the first one we settled on showed her in a small jacket, a white blouse, untucked over a short skirt, black tights and flat shoes. I wanted it to be titillating (“Besotted” is supposed to make middle-aged men feel uncomfortable), and I thought it fitted the bill. And Louise was such a good egg that she also fixed us some dinner.
The cover for the first edition used that same photo, but Louise was cut in half for artistic effect. I was pleased with the cover, I think Louise was pleased to be on the cover of a book (even if it was my most controversial book at the time), but there was still that wall, which didn’t look right to me.
In between all of this, the photoshoots, the new covers, the occasional glass of wine together, a decision was made to revamp the cover to “Maggie’s Children”, to reflect the full cast of characters in the novel. It seemed as though I’d dropped Louise, but I hadn’t. And when a second edition of “Besotted” came out, the cover was updated, using a change of outfit for Louise – bare legs and red trainers.
This one captures everything about “Besotted” and its wayward, transgressive lead character, Benjamin Beerenwinkel. Bare legs and trainers seemed more rebellious for a young, teenage schoolgirl, and the background being shifted to black and white made her stand out more.
But now, Louise has retired from modelling, and my current projected works would not require her willing participation anyway. In a way, it’s sad that our working relationship is all concluded now. I wish Louise all the best in her future endeavours, and I thank her for becoming involved in such an intimate way in my publishing career. I take great memories from our professional relationship, and our personal friendship also, and my life would’ve been less exciting without her.
Shaun Stafford's Putrid Underbelly 