Boakye, Fatimaharan and Thorpe revealed as guest judges for Faber FAB Prize

Faber celebrated the opening of the £1,500 2023 FAB Prize for undiscovered writers and illustrators last night (29th March) with a Faber Members FAB Prize alumni event featuring past winners and now published authors, Janelle McCurdy, Ravena Guron and Sarah Christou.

The first of its kind in the UK, and now in its seventh year, the FAB Prize aims to "discover and showcase new talent from underrepresented backgrounds, closing the gap between what is currently published and the reality for many families". Entries will be judged by Faber’s publisher Leah Thaxton, Curtis Brown literary agent Davinia Andrew-Lynch, Faber assistant editor Ama Badu and Faber Children’s art director Emma Eldridge. 

Author, educator and broadcaster Jeffrey Boakye, World Book Day illustrator and FAB Prize alumni Allen Fatimaharan and Ashley Thorpe, senior editor at Storymix, are among the guest judges.

The prize is open to writers and illustrators from a Black, Asian or non-white minority ethnic background. Entries must be text or artwork for children and young adults between the ages of one to 18 years.

For illustration, the first-place prize will also include a one-year portfolio membership from the Association of Illustrators (AOI), worth £200, as well as the opportunity to shadow already established illustrators on school visits. Meanwhile, the prize for text includes a place on an online Faber Academy writing course and the opportunity to shadow authors on school visits. 

Second prize-winners will receive £500, and a selection of Faber books. All highly commended and commended winners will get exclusive access to the Faber Insight Into Publishing podcast, an 11-episode series with advice from professionals across the industry, and a feature in the FAB Prize Booklet for the year of their entry, which will be shared with agents and other professionals within the industry.

First place, second place, highly commended and commended winners will also have their work and a short biography showcased within the booklet. Highly commended writers will also gain access to industry events and updates via the FAB alumni network, and will be given priority spaces on BookTrust Represent workshops.

Alumni of the FAB Prize include authors and illustrators such as Tọlá Okogwu, Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Kereen Getten. More than 150 books have now been published (or acquired by publishers) from FAB alumni.

Thaxton said: "For seven years now the FAB Prize has proved to be a game changer within our industry. From Rashmi Sirdeshpande to Allen Fatimaharan, the calibre of authors and illustrators championed year after year, is genuinely thrilling, along with the FAB community that grows up out of it."

Badu commented: "The opening of the FAB Prize is always such an exciting time. In the past, we’ve seen exceptional entries go on to become published books. I can’t wait to see the talented writers and illustrators we come across this year."

Boakye added: "It’s so important to widen the scope of representation in publishing and to this end I’m proud to connect with Faber in this way. Having the chance to explore new talent and hear new voices is genuinely exciting and a real privilege."

The FAB Prize is supported by BookTrust and the AOI which offer opportunities to FAB Prize entrants. The competition closes for entries on 30th June, and the winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony in the autumn.