NEVER judge a book by its cover - unless you're in a book cover design contest.

Billy Fenton, from Clacton, fought off competition from more than 1,100 rivals to reach the finals of the Penguin book design awards.

The budding graphic designer is on a shortlist of just ten in the running for the £1,000 cash prize and a placement with the UK's biggest book publisher.

Billy, 18, designed a cover for Jonathan Coe’s contemporary classic What A Carve Up which will go before a panel of judges including celeb chef Jamie Oliver. 

The winner will be announced on June 18.