Bia Melo and Emily Kapff shortlisted for £5k Klaus Flugge Prize

Bia Melo’s The Dream Book (Templar) and Emily Kapff’s The Crown (Walker Books) have been shortlisted for the £5,000 Klaus Flugge Prize, which aims to celebrate the "most exciting newcomer" to children’s picture book illustration.

Six titles have made it onto the shortlist – selected by a judging panel chaired by Julia Eccleshare, director of the Hay Children’s Festival – from a longlist of 17 picture books by debut illustrators. The list was selected based on the technical skill, originality and promise demonstrated in the books, as well as the illustrator’s ability to tell a story and create character. 

The 2024 shortlist also features Henri and the Machine, illustrated by Olga Shtonda, and written by Isabelle Marinov (Templar), as well as Farah Loves Mangos, illustrated by Sarthak Sinha (Flying Eye Books). Angela Vives’ Bright Stars of Black British History, written by J T Williams (Thames and Hudson), has also made the cut, and is joined on the shortlist by Kate Winter’s The Fossil Hunter (Puffin Books).

Eccleshare is joined by illustrator Petr Horáček on the panel, as well as Mariajo Ilustrajo, the winner of the 2023 Klaus Flugge Prize. Olivia Ahmad, the artistic director at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, is also judging this year’s prize, alongside Alex Forbes, founder of the independent bookshop Fourbears Books in Reading.

Eccleshare said: “From another strong longlist, our judges have selected a shortlist that fully represents the extraordinary variety of picture books on offer to children today. At a time when computers and software are as important tools for illustrators as brush and pen, our six shortlisted illustrators demonstrate exceptional skill at drawing, painting and observation. In a crowded market, they have developed their own style, creating characters and scenes we haven’t encountered before.”

The prize was established in 2016 in honour of Klaus Flugge, the founder of Andersen Press. This year’s shortlist was announced following a celebration event at Waterstones Piccadilly on 14th May, and the winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on Wednesday 11th September 2024.