Ilustrajo wins the £5k Klaus Flugge Prize for debut illustrators

Mariajo Ilustrajo has been announced as the winner of the £5,000 Klaus Flugge Prize for the most exciting and promising newcomer to picture book illustration for her book Flooded (Frances Lincoln Books).

The winning book is described as "a comic but powerful demonstration of the impact of climate change in which animals attempt to carry on with business as normal, even while their city is flooding".

Ilustrajo grew up in Madrid where she studied illustration at the school of art, Arte 10. She has worked as a freelance illustrator, completing projects for a wide range of clients with some personal projects along the way. She also studied Graphic Communication at Bath Spa University and then in 2018 started an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin in Cambridge.

In November 2020, Ilustrajo was named overall winner of the 2020 Association of Illustrators World Illustration Awards, sponsored by Walker Books. Her book Flooded has also won the English Association 4-11 Picture Book Award 2023 and the UK Literacy Association Picture Book Award 2023, and has been translated into 20 languages.

Ilustrajo commented: “It’s difficult to describe with words the joy of winning this prestigious prize. I’ve been an illustrator for a long time but becoming a children’s book illustrator and author seemed like just a dream. This recognition makes me feel that I’m heading in the right direction and encourages me to keep exploring new ways of creating new stories."

The Klaus Flugge Prize is aimed at recognising a published picture book by a debut illustrator. It was founded in 2016 in honour of publisher and Andersen Press founder Klaus Flugge, who launched the careers of David McKee, Tony Ross, Ruth Brown and Chris Riddell, among others. In April, Flugge received the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award. 

The prize is funded by Flugge and run independently of Andersen Press. It is administered by Julia Eccleshare and by Andrea Reece, managing editor of online magazine Books for Keeps.

Judge and illustrator Lydia Monks said of this year’s winner: "The sophistication and competence displayed is exceptional for someone so new to publishing. I’m excited to follow her career.”

Fellow judge and 2022 Klaus Flugge Prize winner Joseph Namara Hollis added: "Flooded has it all. It absorbs you into a world teeming with life. The character details are captivating, drawing you closer. Each page is dynamic with plenty to discover as the drama unfolds. And while it is a fun story, it delivers an important message with warmth and humour."

Chair of the judges, Hay Children’s Festival director Julia Eccleshare, commented: “Picture book illustration is in a robust state of health and the submissions for this year’s Klaus Flugge Prize were very strong. Our five shortlisted illustrators have enormous technical skill as well as an exceptional understanding of how illustration carries story and meaning. Huge congratulations to Mariajo on winning this year’s Klaus Flugge Prize.”

Urmi Merchant, founder and owner of independent bookshop Pickled Pepper in London, was also a judge this year, as was Dr Sarah McConnell, course leader of the masters in illustration course at Nottingham Trent University. The winner was announced on the evening of Wednesday 13th September in the library at CLPE in Webber Street, London.