Are you an aspiring children’s book illustrator? Then listen up! The Five Mile Press, one of Australia’s largest children’s publishers, is again offering a $4000 publishing contract to a talented unpublished illustrator!
The lucky winner will work with Five Mile Press’s highly skilled editorial and design teams to create a children’s picture book which will be published in 2017.
Five Mile Press Managing Director, Alexandra Maramenides, says that nurturing new Australian talent is an essential part of Five Mile’s philosophy. “While we publish more than 180 children’s titles a year (excluding our additional licensing program) and work with authors and illustrators worldwide — we are very aware that there is still a vast amount of untapped, home-grown talent out there.”
“We understand how difficult it is for unpublished illustrators to catch the eye of a publisher and we endeavour to ensure Australian illustrators are well-represented on our diverse catalogue,” Maramenides said. “This prize is one way of meeting both those goals—to foster undiscovered artists and ensure we have wonderful Australian talent on our list.”
Other local illustrators fostered by The Five Miles Press include Jedda Robaard, Michael Scott-Parkinson, Lisa Kerr, and Natalie Marshall. “We have been able to develop an ongoing working relationship, building a list around their style and representing them internationally. We hope to do the same with future winners of the Illustrator Prize,” Maramenides explained.
The entries will be judged by a committee selected from The Five Mile Press editing, design and management teams and will include Publisher Kay Scarlett.
Entrants must be over 18 years of age and cannot have any current or pending contracts to publish illustrations in book form in Australia or overseas. Key dates are listed below. Entry forms and further information are available on the Five Mile Press website.
The Five Mile Press will be releasing the book by the inaugural winner of the Illustrator Prize, Lucinda Gifford, in 2016.
Entries open Monday 8 June.
Entries close 5pm, Monday 27 July
Shortlist announced Monday 26 October
Winner announced Monday 9 November
