Britain’s First Graphic Novel Award is back!

UK competitors The First Graphic Novel Award returns with a brand new title, new companions and a brand new brand after a short hiatus. Editor Corinne Perléman will proceed the award, together with writer SelfMadeHero, the Cartoon Museum in London and literary administration firm The bks Company. Winners will likely be supplied a publishing deal from SelfMadeHero and a money prize of £500 sponsored by the Authors Licensing and Accumulating Society. Different prize companions embrace former publishing companion Myriad Editions, UK comics occasions Lakes Worldwide Comedian Artwork Pageant and Thought Bubble, and the LDComics community.

The competitors has been a significant a part of the UK graphic novel panorama, serving to to advertise new voices within the longer type of the medium. Previously referred to as Myriad First Graphic Novel Contest, it began in 2012 and was directed by Corinne Pearlman, then inventive director of Myriad Editions. It takes place each two years. Earlier winners have included Gareth Brooke‘ The black challenge (revealed in 2012), Jade SarsonIt’s For the love of God, Mary! (revealed in 2014), and jenny robin‘ Biscuits (revealed in 2018). The final version of the Myriad First Graphic Novel competitors was in 2020, the profitable title was Veronika Muchitsch Cybermanwhich was revealed in 2022. Many different shortlisted authors found by the competitors have additionally been revealed by Myriad – reminiscent of Hannah Eaton with Title the monsters (2013), Zara SlateryIt’s Coma (2021), and Sabba KhanIt’s The roles we play (2021 – and re-released within the US as What’s house, mother? with Road Noise Books in 2022).

Submissions of a 15-30 web page excerpt of labor in progress at the moment are open, with the window closing September 14, 2023. [Note: There is, however, a small administrative fee for entrants of £10 – or £5 for students and those on benefits]. These on the longlist and shortlist will likely be contacted by e-mail in late September and November, respectively, and the winner will likely be declared at an awards ceremony on December 7, 2023.

The SelfMadeHero contract to the winner will embrace an advance on royalties in addition to editorial and design help to carry the present challenge to publication. Shortlisted works will likely be exhibited at this yr’s Lakes Worldwide Comedian Artwork Pageant in Bowness-on-Windermere, September 29-October 1, and shortlisted works exhibited on the Thought Bubble Pageant in Harrogate, November 10-12.

There isn’t a age requirement, however all entrants (whether or not sole authors or a inventive workforce) should reside within the UK, not have an agent, and never have already revealed a whole work commercially. It may be fiction or non-fiction.

Based on website:

“We’re searching for a variety of creators from completely different components of the UK and from completely different backgrounds. We wish to replicate our society, together with people who find themselves neurodivergent and disabled, and people with the complete rainbow of social identities, gender and ethnic.

Judges for the brand new First Graphic Novel Award will embrace editors Ayoola Solarin and Corinne Pearlman, artist Mark Wallinger, London Cartoon Museum studying and outreach supervisor Steve Marchant, comics journalist and educational Alex Fitch and graphic novelist – one of many shortlisted authors – Sabba Khan. Based on the competitors’s web site, designers who make the lengthy checklist could have their work reviewed by literary agent James Spackman of the bks company. All shortlisted and shortlisted work will obtain suggestions from the judges.