Cartoon Museum and publisher SelfMadeHero team up to launch First Graphic Novel Award

The Cartoon Museum and publisher SelfMadeHero have teamed up to launch the First Graphic Novel Award for debut authors who have not previously been published.

The award asks authors to submit 15 to 30 pages of a graphic novel in progress, fiction or non-fiction. A selected author will be given support to complete the work for publication by SelfMadeHero, and awarded a prize of £500 sponsored by the bks Agency. The closing date is 14th September 2023. 

The project is supported by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF), Thought Bubble Festival and The bks Agency.

The judges include graphic novel editor Ayoola Solarin, artist Mark Wallinger, Cartoon Museum learning and outreach officer Steve Marchant, broadcast journalist Alex Fitch, graphic novelist Sabba Khan, author of the award-winning The Roles We Play (Myriad) and Emma Hayley, director, SelfMadeHero. James Spackman at The bks Agency will review the longlisted creators’ work.

The award was founded by Myriad Editions in 2012 as the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition. As well as publishing books by the four finalists, Myriad has also published six other shortlisted authors. 

Corinne Pearlman, project leader and judge, has steered the award from its outset as Myriad’s former creative director. She has now established the award on an independent platform with seed money from the ALCS. “I’m delighted to be taking forward the award with the support of new partners The Cartoon Museum, SelfMadeHero and ALCS. Myriad’s celebrated list of graphic novels has seen great benefits from the scheme. Now we can share that experience with others. This is the first time we have been able to offer the winner a prize of £500, thanks to sponsors the bks Agency.” 

SelfMadeHero’s Hayley added: “The UK needs more of this. As the future publisher of the winning entry, SelfMadeHero furthers its commitment to fostering and inspiring new talent. I am very excited that we are a part of this.” 

Joe Sullivan, director, Cartoon Museum, also commented: “There is a long and fantastic history of finding the very best new talent through the First Graphic Novel competition. The Museum is committed to championing emerging artists, and we look forward to discovering our new favourite graphic novels later this year.”

For more information visit the competition website.