New Designer of the Year winner Williams lands publishing deal

Jake Williams, winner of the Business Design Centre’s New Designer of the Year 2017, has signed a three book deal with Pavilion Children's Books.

Williams was awarded the New Designer of the Year prize at the 2017 New Designers festival for his illustrated non-fiction book for children, Resilient Reptiles. The award, which recognises rising stars across all areas of design, was presented by the V&A.

Williams’ first book takes a look at a range of reptiles from around the world and how their ability to adapt to different environments has helped them to survive. Now renamed Reptiles, the book will be published in September 2018 in hardback, with two more illustrated non-fiction books on different subjects to follow, provisionally in 2019 and 2020. Pavilion acquired world rights in all languages to the title.

Neil Dunnicliffe, Pavilion Children’s Books publisher, said: “Pavilion Children’s Books is delighted to be working with Jake. As soon as I saw his work on Reptiles I was very keen to sign him. His beautiful visual style and way of relating information for children make him a true talent to watch. I’m sure that his books will be winners on the world stage.”

Williams added: "I'm over the moon to be working alongside Pavilion Children's Books and believe they are the best people to be publishing Reptiles. I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone there for being so helpful and kind throughout the whole process, and I look forward to what I hope will be a long and exciting future of working together!"

Williams graduated from Plymouth College of Art in 2017, where he was selected as one of the "Top 10 to Watch".