Picture This! winners 2023

Winners 2023

the worldwide

p i c t u r e b o o k i l lu s t r at i o n c o m p e t i t i o n

the worldwide picture book illustration competition

and the winners are…

THE NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM

Sofie van Schadewijk Eva Neirynck Anna Boterman THE UNITED KINGDOM

Aditi Anand Charlotte Durance Chia Hsieh SOUTH AFRICA AND WORLD

Berna Hancke-Coles Janien Müller Maruné de Bruyn Desislava Georgieva Risa Kusumoto

Copyright: © 2023 Lemniscaat b.v., Rotterdam Cover illustration: © Sofie van Schadewijk Photographs: © the winners Picture this! logo: © Tobias Hickey Juries: The Netherlands & Belgium: Yvon van Oel, Linde Faas, Marieke ten Berge, Jean Christophe Boele van Hensbroek United Kingdom: Louise Jackson, Petr Horáček and Gill Smith South Africa and world: Piet Grobler, dr. Mia Oosthuizen, Alida Bothma More information on www.wwpbic.com

l emniscaat

rotterdam

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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P R E FAC E BY T H E P U B L I S H E R THE NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM

Anna Boterman Eva Neirynck Sofie van Schadewijk

THE UNITED KINGDOM

Aditi Anand

Charlotte Durance

Chia Hsieh

24 28 32

SOUTH AFRICA AND WORLD

Berna Hancke-Coles

36 Janien Müller

40 Maruné de Bruyn

44 Desislava Georgieva

48 Risa Kusumoto 52

P R E FAC E BY T H E P U B L I S H E R

the worldwide picture book illustration competition

In this catalogue we proudly present the winners of the 2023 edition of the international picture book illustration competition Picture this!, with entries from South Africa, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands/Belgium. Sadly the German jury had to decide to award no winners this year.

From the many entries, juries in these countries chose the three most talented new and unknown illustrators. The result is an impressive demonstration of the versatility and originality of the picture book.

Picture books have become a worldwide art form at which many try their hand, from newcomers to more established artists. And with good reason, as picture books are now a cherished part of many a child’s and parents’ world.

Also in child day-care centres, reading picture books is becoming a regular activity, which often inspires all sorts of further activities.

In short: the picture book is here to stay!

Nevertheless, coming to notice and finding a publisher often remains a challenge for recently graduated illustrators. That is why publishers, academies and other cultural institutes banded together in 2014 to launch the Picture This! competition: as a platform for upcoming talented illustrators to demonstrate their ability.

To bring the winners’ work to attention, this catalogue is distributed online among picture book publishers, art institutes and academies, worldwide. Also, exhibitions of the work by the winning illustrators will travel along art institutes and libraries in the participating countries.

On behalf of the juries of the Worldwide Picture Book Illustration Competition, the International Institute for the Picture Book in Society, Lemniscaat Publishers/The Netherlands & Belgium, Protea Publishers/South Africa, and S. Fischer/Sauerländer & the Bilderbuchmuseum in Troisdorf/ Germany, we wish you much enjoyment and the artists every success!

Jean Christophe Boele van Hensbroek

THE WINNERS THE NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM

Anna Boterman

Eva Neirynck

Sofie van Schadewijk

THE WINNERS THE UNITED KINGDOM

Aditi Anand

Charlotte Durance

Chia Hsieh

THE WINNERS SOUTH AFRICA AND WORLD

Berna Hancke-Coles

Janien Müller

Maruné de Bruyn

THE WINNERS SOUTH AFRICA AND WORLD

Desislava Georgieva

Risa Kusumoto

w i l d day s o f w o n d e r I T T E L L S T H E S T O R Y O F M E I S , a six-

year-old girl who, since the loss of her older sister, no longer feels like doing anything.

Meis misses her sister so terribly that she does

not know what to do. But when Meis uses her imagination, something miraculous happens.

Suddenly, her sister appears, tiny, stamping and singing in her room! Meis can’t believe her

The walls fade. Seagulls fly screeching along the ceiling.

Raging waves pound against the beach. The wind blows through the room, blowing the sisters on an adventure.

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AND THE WINNERS ARE…

ANNA BOTERMAN

luck. Together, they experience a crazy wild adventure and travel through beautiful landscapes full of fantasy. When Sister tells stories of distant shores and a new horizon, Meis falls

asleep. She wakes up in her own bed. Meis feels relieved. She realizes her sister is closer than she could have suspected. Wild days of wonder is a picture book for children aged 6 and above. It shows how, through your imagination, you can deal with grief.

A N N A B O T E R M A N (1982) studied at the

Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. After graduating in 2005 she started as a freelance illustrator in Amsterdam, where she has been producing editorial illustrations for various magazines. Her work is diverse, yet recognizable by the intense colors and playful naive style.

She illustrated for among others: Ode, Elegance, Happinez, Amsterdam Weekly, and Intermediair.

The images she creates are poetic, detailed and dreamy; they always tell a story in themselves.

Recently, she has also been working as an illustrator of picture and children’s books. What she likes to draw the most are animals and plants! In 2007, she completed the study, Teacher of Visual Arts and Design, at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Amsterdam. The same year she began her career as a secondary school visual education teacher. Recently she made the switch to primary education, where she now teaches art to children aged 5 to 12. @annabotermanillustraties

A N N A B O T E R M A N - Wild days of wonder

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Meis and Sister run after each other. Laughing at the stupidest jokes.

Frolic, rolling over each other. Tickle each other while screaming for mercy.

J U R Y R E P O R T The first thing the jury

noticed when Anna’s illustrations came up was her use of color. But not only the colors, also the compositions are well-considered and interesting. They immediately draw you into the illustrations. The main characters move through different worlds that are all designed

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AND THE WINNERS ARE…

with attractive and deep colors. This makes the illustrations come to life and holds the reader’s attention. There is plenty to discover. You can feel the turbulent sea churning as you look at it. The story Anna tells adds depth to the illustrations and makes you want to continue looking and reading.

They are nowhere and never alone.

They kiss the stars and rocket back down through the moon.

Over the mountains and the sea to the forest

A N N A B O T E R M A N - Wild days of wonder.

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ino & bird E VA N E I R Y N C K

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AND THE WINNERS ARE…

I N O L I K E S T O L A U G H A L O T . His life is

very colorful. But then there is Bird. Bird is always there, but no one sees Bird except Ino. Bird is gloomy and always dressed in black.

Ino’s feathery friend is afraid, afraid of big things, of the world, of everything new. Ino hopes to teach Bird to see that in black there is also blue, pink and yellow. But when all is said and done, Ino can also learn something from Bird, with whom he always finds comfort. A story about a child with a backpack containing hidden fears. Fears that surface, especially at night.

Hello, I am E V A N E I R Y N C K , illustrator from Gentbrugge. I illustrate stories in books & magazines. I often draw soft and sensitive subjects, but with a smile. Stories are connecting, I truly believe in that. I also like to draw giant wall drawings and chalkboards. My style is recognizable: clear line drawings with a deeper meaning.

Those lines can be soft, loose and sensitive as well as hard, graphic and tight. I have a very personal style that represent me an interior designer. I also work based on textures and with a pared-down color palette. When I am not drawing, I teach as a teacher of Sketching at the KASK in Ghent. @evaneirynck_illustrator

Grandma hums contentedly as they wait for the bus. Ino reflects on this strange day. He almost feels it, Bird sitting above him.

Bird thinks his piece. And where is that bus anyway?

E V A N E I R Y N C K – Ino & Bird

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Ino and Bird are in a boat in the lake. “But Bird, look!

It’s so beautiful here!” shouts Ino cheerfully.

J U R Y R E P O R T Eva makes sure the judges

can keep looking at her illustrations about Ino and Bird. They are powerful. They are vibrant.

They have character. The question that arises is what technique she used, and judging from the print, the jury thinks wax crayon.

But afterwards it turns out to be hard colored pencils. That fact alone keeps the illustrations

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AND THE WINNERS ARE…

interesting. The colors Eva uses pop off the paper and the illustrations are all cleverly made. The concept is incredibly captivating and in combination with the illustrations it demands to be developed into a complete picture book. So the judges are eagerly awaiting more.

Ino sits inside the wings of Bird. Bird sighs.

Ino sinks into the softest feather hug he ever received.

E V A N E I R Y N C K – Ino & Bird

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s n o e t S O F I E VA N S C H A D E W I J K S E N N A A D O R E S H E R C A T S N O E T . To her chagrin, Senna hasn’t been home all day, and even

when she rattled the kibble-can in the garden in the evening, Snoet doesn’t show up. Tired and sad from the search she must now go to bed without a cuddle from Snoet. Senna falls asleep. Soon she begins to dream; still searching for Snoet, calling a nd rattling, again in the garden, in the toy box, in the bathroom, in the street, behind the bicycle shed... Although these places do look a little different in Senna’s dream than they do in real life. Also, it seems that Senna has made a new friend unnoticed. Can he help her to find Snoet?

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My name is S O F I E V A N S C H A D E W I J K , I’m a printmaker, illustrator, and mom of two little girls. I live in Waalre, which is a small village in the south of the Netherlands (near Eindhoven).

Even when I was a little girl, I always thought I would be doing a creative job of some sort in the future. I ended up studying Graphic Design at the ArtEZ Academy of Arts in Arnhem. I learned a lot, but illustration wasn’t part of the education, which I started longing for after a year or two. I took matters in my own hands and started drawing again. I taught myself how to screen print on different materials, and so on. Motherhood slowed down the whole creating process, I could only do a little bit each day. So while the girls played I planned ahead what I was going to do once they’re in school/bed/out with dad. In 2016 I dove into relief printing, which I really enjoyed and decided to focus on improving my skills. I invested in some very nice tools, paper and ink, and got my fingers dirty.

The subjects used in my work are women (often in a mindful or meditative state), nature, a little magic (moon, sun, stars, those are kind of magical to me), and there’s lots of cats and hair involved as well. I try to create from what I imagine, rather than what I see in front of me. @sofie.tekent

* Snoet is often outside, so Senna had also looked in the garden.

S O F I E V A N S C H A D E W I J K – Snoet

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*

* Maybe Snoet is just inside after all ... and has hidden in the toy chest? ** Or is Snoet in the bathroom?

He sometimes hides behind the shower curtain...

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AND THE WINNERS ARE…

**

J U R Y R E P O R T The jury has reviewed Picture This!-illustrations by

Sofie before that were worthwhile. But this year she really hits the mark and convinces the jury. With beautiful lino cuts, showing that she is a craftswoman, she manages to tell a special story. The prints have an original style and atmosphere. A lot happens in the illustrations, but it is not restless. Instead, it makes you keep looking and looking for the little things. The clear smooth lines and planes are beautiful in form.

The precision with which Sofie works is admirable and appealing to children, but certainly to adults as well.

S O F I E V A N S C H A D E W I J K – Snoet

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s t i t c h ADITI ANAND s t i t c h is about love, loss and grief. Set in India, the story revolves around a child and her fathers, Papa and Dad. The death of Papa is addressed by using the gentle metaphor of stitching.

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Every morning, the sound of the sewing machine fills their home. Papa makes colourful creations in his sewing workshop, and the child assists him, while Dad watches them from the outside. That day, Papa makes a scarf

for the child. But he rarely makes anything for himself.

The rest of the day, Papa, Dad and the child spend their time together sitting in the sun, cooking and reading books.

But one morning, there is no sound. The child waits for the sound to come back, but it doesn’t. She tries to bring it back herself, but

fails. She is lost without Papa. So is Dad. The child then approaches Dad and hands him thread and buttons, thereby persuading him to come along. They work together on the sewing machine to bring back the sound.

Once again, the sound fills their home. Dad and the child create a scarf for Papa, hence taking forward the craft of sewing so as to always remember those that are gone.

A D I T I A N A N D is an illustrator from India,

currently pursuing an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. Her work passionately reflects her origins. She loves working with mixed media and is drawn to stories with strong emotional undertones. Aditi enjoys being indoors, sipping chai, and drawing everyday life in her sketchbook. www.anandaditi.com @_anandaditi

A D I T I A N A N D – Stitch

J U R Y R E P O R T Aditi’s beautifully composed

illustrations – with soft watercolour and hints of other mediums and collage, capture the sense of place perfectly in this gentle and moving story of personal loss and hope. The jury loved the little extra details that Aditi added to build up the world, such as the child’s drawing on the wall. Colour is used to convey the

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AND THE WINNERS ARE…

myriad of emotions – from the opening piece of Papa and the child bathed in a warm, comforting light, to the bleakness of Papa’s empty chair. The interior in the second spread is particularly poignant. Stillness and emptiness are evoked through muted colour and the workspace, once buzzing with activity, is covered by the sheer curtain of blues and greys. The focus

goes straight to that beautiful sewing machine and the jury could hear the silence! The final piece, with the brightly coloured squares of the scarf stitched together, speaks of hope as the family work together to remember Papa and carry on with their lives.

A D I T I A N A N D – Stitch

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lost C H A R LOT T E D U R A N C E l o s t is a silent book. A child goes on a train with her favourite toy but leaves it behind on the train seat. The story follows the experiences of both the child and toy after the separation until they are reunited at the end. I want to show both narratives to give a privileged view to the reader, add poignance and, at times, humour. The rabbit toy’s journey on one tube seat enables an exploration of the theme of travelling through a city train network.

C H A R L O T T E D U R A N C E is an illustrator who

lives in East Anglia. She enjoys using humour, colour, shape and texture in her work. She studied English Literature and Film & Drama, and this has inspired a love of composition and sequence. Play is an important part of Charlotte’s practice, and she finds inspiration through experiments with mixed media, printmaking and collage. She is never without a sketchbook and draws from life, capturing small moments and amusing situations in the everyday. Charlotte is currently studying for an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. www.charlottedurance.com @charlotte.durance

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C H A R L O T T E D U R A N C E – Lost

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J U R Y R E P O R T This wordless picture book

relies entirely on the illustrations to tell the story, and uses a graphic novel construct to take us through the tale of a lost rabbit on the underground. The contemporary illustrations, loose brushwork with crayon, are simple but use interesting perspectives, crops and composition to build the sense of place. There is also a great sense of onward movement in this work.

The only words are in the signage (tickets, way out) which help to move the timeline of the story along. The jury particularly liked the last segment of the rabbit, looking out at us from the tube seat where he has accidentally been left, the repeat picture suggesting a tube train moving away from us, and taking him away from his child owner. Charlotte trusts the reader to actively participate in the reading experience, and her drawings are confident and very well observed.

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C H A R L O T T E D U R A N C E – Lost

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the special hug

CHIA HSIEH

T H E S P E C I A L H U G is a book that revolves around the relationship between Mia, the daughter, and May, the mum. Inspired by personal experiences as a caregiver for a stroke-stricken mother, this story portrays their lives, and highlights the shared desire for warmth and care.

Mia’s daily hugs provide comfort and convenience to May, meeting her daily needs. However, it is also important to recognise that Mia also yearns for hugs as an essential mental support as a caregiver and a daughter.

C H I A H S I E H loves to draw and entered a gifted art class

in Taiwan at nine, where she studied continuously for ten years. After graduating from university with a degree in art education and a minor in cultural and creative industries, she became a children’s art teacher at a private institution, drawing creative inspiration from her interactions with children.

Upon earning a Master’s degree in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art, she ventured into teaching art to adults. She discovered that adults enjoy reading stories as well, possibly to reconnect with their inner child. Inspired by this insight, she expanded her creative focus to accompany the inner children of her audience.

She has mastered various media and enjoys experimenting with new artistic mediums. Texture has always fascinated her, and she incorporates traditional printmaking techniques such as colour separation and plate-making into her digital drawings. Her work often showcases her attempts to recreate the textures of printmaking and hand-drawn brush strokes digitally. www.chiahsieh.com/work

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C H I A H S I E H – The Special Hug

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J U R Y R E P O R T We loved the soft, textural graphic illustrations, as comforting

as a warm hug. The characters work well against a mostly white background and, together with the use of textured flat pastel colours, have a very contemporary appearance. This allows us to focus entirely on the characters and the relationship between carer and caregiver. Despite the simplicity, these characters are full of emotion. There is both vulnerability and joy in their expressions and body language. The jury really loved how ordinary activities, such as shopping, are made fascinating through the superb animal characters. Pastel colours add a pop of warmth to the spare illustrations and paired back, brushy marks and graphic shapes create an original and fresh voice to tell this touching story.

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C H I A H S I E H – The Special Hug

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’ n s p e k b o o m v i r o u pa ( a b aco n t re e f o r g r a n d pa ) BERNA HANCKE-COLES

A S I M P L E S T O R Y about the innocence of childhood and the amusing misunderstandings this can cause. For context, in Afrikaans ‘spek’ means bacon.

A little boy overhears his parents talking about gifting grandpa a spekboom for his birthday, he immediately pictures this amazing bacon tree and runs off to make grandpa a matching drawing for his birthday.

Meanwhile his mother goes to the nursery to buy a spekboom. When she returns home, the boy runs to greet her with his drawing, they both have a big moment of confusion. Perhaps on the next page or two the mom can be seen laughing and the boy getting a bit upset. She then kindly explains the misunderstanding to her son and it ends with him also finding it funny as they later explain the drawing to Grandpa and everyone has a big laugh.

B E R N A H A N C K E - C O L E S In my career I had

some time for myself and my own passions. Even though I’m still working as a graphic designer, I now work for myself so I have more time to focus on my surface pattern design and illustration passions. Years of keeping the flame alive in the margins of my life are starting to pay off! www.schneckicreative.com @schneckicreative

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Dad - So, what are we getting your dad for his birthday this afternoon?

Mom - He’s been wanting a spekboom for a while, I’m just quickly checking where the closest nursery is.

B E R N A H A N C K E - C O L E S – ’n spekboom vir oupa

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J U R Y R E P O R T Quirky and tongue-in-cheek illustrations combining

digital technique with analog textures and elements, earned Berna a place a among this year’s South African winners. Her characters and interest in composition have the promise to evolve into a contemporary picture book celebrating the humour and playfulness in the daily activity of young readers.

B E R N A H A N C K E - C O L E S – ’n spekboom vir oupa

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RED RIDING HOOD O N C E U P O N A T I M E , there was a little girl who lived in a village near the forest. She wore a red riding cloak, so everyone in the village called her Little Red Riding Hood. One morning, Little Red Riding Hood’s mother sent her with a basket to her grandmother. Before she left her mother told her to not dawdle along

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JANIEN MÜLLER

the way and go straight to Grandma’s house.

Little Red Riding Hood noticed some lovely flowers in the woods, she forgot her promise to her mother and she picked a few. She didn’t notice the wolf approaching out of the forest behind her.

The wolf asked her what she was doing and

when she told him she realised that she was late. The wolf took a shortcut and arrived at Grandma’s. The wolf gobbled her up, then he got dressed in Grandma’s nightgown an put on her glasses.

Red Riding Hood knocked on the door. The wolf jumped into bed and pulled the covers over his nose. When Little Red Riding Hood entered the little cottage, she could scarcely recognise her grandmother. Red riding hood started to ask questions, then she asked her last

question. “But Grandmother! What big teeth you have,” said Little Red Riding Hood. “The better to eat you with, my dear,” roared the wolf and he leapt out of the bed and began to chase the little girl. She gave a scream.

A woodsman who was chopping logs nearby heard her cry and ran towards the cottage as fast as he could. He grabbed the wolf and made him spit Grandma out and he dragged the wolf deep into the forest where he wouldn’t bother people again.

At just 16 years old, J A N I E N M Ü L L E R is a student at Langenhoven Gimnasium in Oudtshoorn, where her passion for creativity shines through her favourite subjects of Design and Technical Drawings. Her fascination with animated characters and storytelling has led her to delve into the world of illustration, where she explores the magic of creating captivating characters and immersive scenes. Janien’s preferred canvas is traditional paper, where she employs the delicate medium of watercolour and the precision of fineliner pens to bring her visions to life. @jm_sketches11

J A N I E N M Ü L L E R – Red Riding Hood

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J U R Y R E P O R T Out of all the entries, I think she is probably the most

comfortable with her medium and drawings. Polished, neat and spot on for a book aimed at children. The little clouds with info also show a sense of humour. Fresh, new potential here.

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J A N I E N M Ü L L E R – Red Riding Hood

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the rubbish trunk D I D I A N D H E R D O G K N E R S I S live on top of a mountain in a town called Splinterkop.

One day Knersis comes across a rubbish trunk.

The instructions are simple: Take out the rubbish and get into the trunk.

Say ‘Rubbish shrubbish trunk, rubbish shrubbish trunk’, and jump in if you want to bunk!

The rubbish trunk gets airborne and flies out of the window and over the garden into the dark night to where the moonlight disappears.

The two friends visit a circus where Didi learns to swing like an acrobat in the air. Then they fly to the Wild West with cowboys on horses, a sheriff and a crook with a barrel of gunpowder that is about to explode! In a cloud of dust they fly to a palace made of crystal clear ice where Didi and Knersis goes to a ball with the princess. On an island full of candyfloss, ice cream and cake, they look for lost treasures.

Tired, Didi and Knersis returns to Splinterkop’s attic, but from that day on the rubbish trunk is their greatest treasure because it can take them anywhere!

I am M A R U N É D E B R U Y N and I am an architecture student at Tuks with a passion for illustration. Sometimes I scribble on restaurant napkins and placemats. Even though the life of a student is tough, I make time to draw. I like to listen to music and bake when I feel frustrated or when it is time for my famous Christmas cookies. I read when I feel like it and almost never go jogging.

I have a few friends that I like to spend time with.

All my friends know that they will get a hand-made “Maruné special” birthday card and not a store-bought one. I hope that my illustrations will one day be in a real book.

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AND THE WINNERS ARE…

MARUNÉ DE BRUYN

M A R U N É D E B R U Y N – the rubbish trunk

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J U R Y R E P O R T Very excited about the first illustration with the

trunk in the attic. Her artwork is depicted in a fresh way with beautiful drawings, perspective, feeling of space and magic!

M A R U N É D E B R U Y N – the rubbish trunk

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through this fog T H E S E I L L U S T R AT I O N S are from my original story intended for a silent book.

It follows a young child, lost in a dark forest, surrounded by fog and shadows. He wanders around, scared and hopeless, not sure where to go and how to escape this place, jumping at every sound. A figure starts following him, hiding behind the trees and the fog, scaring even the shadows around. The child senses it and grows even more worried. Eventually, the figure reveals itself – but who is it? Are they here to help or whisk him away, never to be seen again?

The three illustrations presented are towards the end of the story. The figure turns out to be kind – it comforts the child, lifts him out of the fog and into a beautiful sunrise.

This story is a simple meditation on being lost and finding help in an unexpected place.

D E S I S L A V A G E O R G I E V A is a Bulgarian

illustrator, specialising in narrative and children’s book art. Having always loved drawing and telling stories, she pursued higher education in the UK and graduated with a BA degree in Illustration, followed by an MA degree in Children’s Literature: Children’s Book Illustration in 2019. Desislava enjoys making illustrations of all kinds and draws a lot of inspiration from legends and folklore; she has a particular weakness for wordless storytelling and cinematic compositions. desislavageorgieva.art @desislava.d.georgieva

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D E S I S L AVA G E O R G I E VA

D E S I S L A V A G E O R G I E V A – Through this fog

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J U R Y R E P O R T Desislava Georgieva has the ability to use depth

and perspective to draw the young reader into the mysterious world of her atmospheric illustrations. She uses light and shadow to depict drama and surprise visually. Her sense for composition contributes to her competency.

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D E S I S L A V A G E O R G I E V A – Through this fog

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seeds of wonder in the empty

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spot

RISA KUSUMOTO

N I N E C U R I O U S C H I L D R E N arrive at an empty space with some neglected potted plants. Intrigued, they gather around, but they seem unsure about the potential of the barren spot. One child asks, “Shall we give it some water?”, but another one answers, “But maybe it’s already dead...”

However, some of them take a closer look at the seemingly lifeless plant. To their delight, they discover that the plant holds a hope within – seeds! Their discovery sparks the imagination of the entire group. All the children waste no time taking action. Some begin to sow the seeds, while others come with watering cans, and another brings the help of an elephant to assist in watering.

The once empty space transforms into a vibrant and flourishing jungle. The smiles on their faces radiate with joy and satisfaction as they play together. Word spreads quickly, and more children and animals from all around join the fun-filled space, forming a lively and imaginative community of young adventurers.

R I S A K U S U M O T O is a visual artist and a

storyteller based in Berlin. No matter if she starts from text, an image or something more abstract, she observes from multiple angles, absorbs and slowly discovers the underlying narrative. Born in Japan, raised in Brazil, USA, Germany and Canada, she relied heavily on visual communication throughout her childhood as a way to cope with the constantly changing languages around her.

She was quiet, rarely said anything outside, but tried extremely hard to make sense of what was going on through drawing. Today, she continues to explore the diverse ways we can enjoy our complex world.

R I S A K U S U M O T O – Seeds of Wonder in the Empty Spot

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J U R Y R E P O R T Captures the spontaneity of childhood through

loose digital drawings that manage to retain the energy and poetic quality of analog water-colour and ink drawings. Risa demonstrates a clear understanding of contemporary picture-book making and the preferences of a young readership.

R I S A K U S U M O T O – Seeds of Wonder in the Empty Spot

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T H E C O M P E T I T I O N I S S U P P O R T E D B Y:

Lemniscaat Publishers (nl) The International Centre for the Picture Book in Society (gb) Walker Books (gb) Protea (sa) The Burg Wissem Bilderbuch Museum Troisdorf (de) S.Fischer Verlage/Sauerländer (de) Paula Peretti Literary Agency (de)