Wednesday, April 02, 2008

10 Best New Young Illustrators

The UK’s Best New Illustrators were revealed today by Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen at the Children’s Book Fair in Bologna. The final ten represent the best rising talent in the field of illustration today, who demonstrate remarkable creative flair, artistic skill and boundless imagination in their work.


They are:

Alexis Deacon

Polly Dunbar - read an interview with her in the summer edition of Carousel

Lisa Evans

Emily Gravett - you can read an interview in issue 32

Mini Grey - you can read an interview in issue 24

Oliver Jeffers

David Lucas

Catherine Rayner

Joel Stewart

Vicky White


David Roberts and Sam Lloyd were highly commended.


The final ten were chosen from over 250 published illustrators by an illustrious Booktrust panel. To be eligible, illustrators must have been published in the UK since 2000. The Big Picture Judging Committee comprised author and illustrator Anthony Browne; Sunday Times journalist Nicolette Jones; Antonia Byatt, director of literature strategy at Arts Council England; author Malorie Blackman; and John Huddy founder of the Illustration Cupboard.


Michael Rosen comments:
“This is a great time for the picture book. A new generation of artists in command of all the new technologies and with an up-to-the-minute view of the world has arrived. Every one of these makers of picture books deserves a place on a child's bookshelf with the inventiveness, wit and wonder they have given us.”


Shirley Hughes comments:
“The varied talents of these ten new illustrators represent the marvellous vitality of our profession. In an era in which we are bombarded by moving electronic imagery, looking at picture books is not only a vital part of learning to read but offers a lifelong pleasure in itself.”


The Best New Illustrators form part of the Big Picture campaign, which has events running throughout 2008. As well as the Best New Illustrators, Booktrust and Rough Guides have produced The Rough Guide to Picture Books which will be distributed free of charge by branches of Tesco and Waterstone’s. The Big Picture will also join up with the Campaign for Family Learning and The Big Draw to host Big Picture parties at libraries throughout October, to celebrate picture books and encourage family reading through drawing.


The exhibition of works by the ten Best New Illustrators will run at the Illustration Cupboard, Piccadilly, London from 17 April – 3 May.

Location: The Illustration Cupboard, 22 Bury St, St. James’s, London SW1Y 6AL

Dates: 17 April – 3 May

Opening times: Mon – Fri 10-6pm, Sat 12-5

Website: www.illustrationcupboard.com and www.bigpicture.org.uk



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