Zatat and Hottier win 2021 Fab Prize

Narjas Zatat (pictured, top) and Shirley Hottier have been named the first place winners of the Faber & Andlyn (FAB) Prize for new writers and illustrators from underrepresented backgrounds, as the award celebrates its fifth anniversary.   

Zatat won the text prize with her epic YA fantasy submission Djinn-touched, described by the judges as "engaging, sumptuous and magical”. They added: “Narjas is an incredibly talented storyteller with the potential to be a true writing star. The decision was unanimous.”  

First place illustration prize-winner Hottier (pictured, below right) submitted a selection of work, which the judges said had "a great sense of fun and energy”. They added: “She combines colours effortlessly and her bold style leaps from the page. Shirley’s work has a beautiful, retro feel, along with joyful themes and characters."

Second place for the text prize was awarded to Ben Williams for his middle-grade submission Grace Weaver and the Other Kingdom. The judges praised him for his “use of prophecy, magic and other fantastical elements making him a writer to watch”.  

Samareh Azadi, awarded second place for the illustration prize, stood out for her “restrained colour palette, careful and considered use of detail, as well as her use of gorgeous printmaking techniques, which adds a lovely texture and tactile quality to her work”.  

The first of its kind in the UK, the prize is run by Faber in association with the Andlyn Literary Agency, and is also supported by BookTrust and the Association of Illustrators (AOI).  

Text and illustration winners are awarded £1,500 each and various opportunities including a free place on a Faber Academy writing course, a one-year portfolio membership from the AOI, a place on a five-part publishing insights programme and the opportunity to shadow established authors and illustrators via BookTrust. The runners-up for both prizes are also awarded £500 each.  

Leah Thaxton, Faber publisher, said: “The wealth of talent and number of book signings coming out of this prize is immensely exciting. The impact of these winners' artistic and literary output will resonate across classrooms, libraries, and in homes – not to mention all the runners-up and alumni who have deals yet to be announced, and books in the pipeline. We are delighted to celebrate more untapped talent and see the landscape changing.”  

Jasmine Richards, founder of inclusive fiction studio Storymix, helped to judge the prize. She commented: “I was delighted by the range and ambition of the stories submitted. And with the illustrations, it was fabulous to see so much magic rubbing shoulders with the gorgeous observations of children and their everyday lives. The FAB Prize does a great job of platforming talent and I'm excited to see what happens next with this year's winners.”  

Since its launch last year, the FAB Prize website, a hub for aspiring writers, illustrators and publishing professionals, now features interviews with authors and illustrators such as as Costa Debut Novel-winner Ingrid Persaud, Nikita Gill, Annabelle Sami, Jeffrey Boakye, Kereen Getten, Dapo Adeola and many more.