Rachana Shah
Rachana Shah is a freelance graphic designer, Her most notable work is the book design for the limited, hardcover edition of the novel Timbuctoo. The design has been described in detail in the Los Angeles Review of Books and as "opulent" in The Independent.
Early life and work
After graduation, she moved to the United States, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1994, she moved to New York, where she interned with a number of publishing companies. an international publishing company which specializes in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 51 languages.
Rachana Shah has designed book covers for Amina Shah's Tales from the Bazaars of Arabia and Tales From the Bazaars; Narendra Singh Sarila's Once a Prince of Sarila; Namita Devidayal's The Music Room; Suraiya Faroqhi's Artisans of Empire; Beyond the Three Seas, edited by Michael H. Fisher; Idries Shah's Knowing How To Know, Thinkers of the East, The Way of the Sufi and The Englishman's Handbook; Julia Huang's Tribeswomen of Iran; Al-Ghazzali's The Alchemy of Happiness, and Sir Patrick Walker's Towards Independence in Africa.
Shah has also designed the books: Dorling Kindersley's The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, Oz Clarke's Encyclopedia of Wine, and Clare Maxwell-Hudson's Massage: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide.
Later life and work
In 2003, Shah moved with her husband Tahir Shah to their new home called Dar Khalifa in Casablanca, Morocco and subsequently became a main character in her husband's two books that chronicled their adventures in Morocco: The Caliph's House and In Arabian Nights. Shah had previously appeared with another name (Himala) in one of Tahir Shah's first books, Beyond the Devil's Teeth, which details how the two initially met in India.
Shah is best known for her most recent work, husband Tahir Shah's limited edition release of his novel Timbuctoo. Described in The Independent as "opulent", Five of these are reprinted from Richard Horwood's Georgian atlas of London, the last, a facsimile of the map published in the original Narrative of Robert Adams.<ref nameAmazon /> It was designed along the lines of the travel books of two centuries ago,<ref name"LAReview" /> and is a large book, weighing 2 kilos (almost 4.5 lbs).<ref nameAmazon /> It has marbled endpapers, a silk bookmark, a pouch at the rear with additional inserts.<ref name"LAReview" /><ref nameAmazon /> The paper is wood-free, and the cover is embossed with raised gold type.<ref nameAmazon /> Shah sought out a distinguished printer in Hong Kong that was able to work closely with her to create a book that required such great attention to detail. The Los Angeles Review of Books describes it as having "an antiquarian feel: a lengthy title in gold lettering, marbled end papers, a silk bookmark and several large fold-out maps all evoke the novel’s historical setting."<ref name="LAReview" />
Early life and work
After graduation, she moved to the United States, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1994, she moved to New York, where she interned with a number of publishing companies. an international publishing company which specializes in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 51 languages.
Rachana Shah has designed book covers for Amina Shah's Tales from the Bazaars of Arabia and Tales From the Bazaars; Narendra Singh Sarila's Once a Prince of Sarila; Namita Devidayal's The Music Room; Suraiya Faroqhi's Artisans of Empire; Beyond the Three Seas, edited by Michael H. Fisher; Idries Shah's Knowing How To Know, Thinkers of the East, The Way of the Sufi and The Englishman's Handbook; Julia Huang's Tribeswomen of Iran; Al-Ghazzali's The Alchemy of Happiness, and Sir Patrick Walker's Towards Independence in Africa.
Shah has also designed the books: Dorling Kindersley's The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, Oz Clarke's Encyclopedia of Wine, and Clare Maxwell-Hudson's Massage: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide.
Later life and work
In 2003, Shah moved with her husband Tahir Shah to their new home called Dar Khalifa in Casablanca, Morocco and subsequently became a main character in her husband's two books that chronicled their adventures in Morocco: The Caliph's House and In Arabian Nights. Shah had previously appeared with another name (Himala) in one of Tahir Shah's first books, Beyond the Devil's Teeth, which details how the two initially met in India.
Shah is best known for her most recent work, husband Tahir Shah's limited edition release of his novel Timbuctoo. Described in The Independent as "opulent", Five of these are reprinted from Richard Horwood's Georgian atlas of London, the last, a facsimile of the map published in the original Narrative of Robert Adams.<ref nameAmazon /> It was designed along the lines of the travel books of two centuries ago,<ref name"LAReview" /> and is a large book, weighing 2 kilos (almost 4.5 lbs).<ref nameAmazon /> It has marbled endpapers, a silk bookmark, a pouch at the rear with additional inserts.<ref name"LAReview" /><ref nameAmazon /> The paper is wood-free, and the cover is embossed with raised gold type.<ref nameAmazon /> Shah sought out a distinguished printer in Hong Kong that was able to work closely with her to create a book that required such great attention to detail. The Los Angeles Review of Books describes it as having "an antiquarian feel: a lengthy title in gold lettering, marbled end papers, a silk bookmark and several large fold-out maps all evoke the novel’s historical setting."<ref name="LAReview" />
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