The 2020 competition for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair – Fundación SM International Award for Illustration is open for submissions.
Reserved for artists under 35 that have already been selected for the Illustrators Exhibition, the Award offers the winner a cheque for $15,000 in order to give the resources for a year to develop a picturebook to be published and released on the world market by the Spanish publisher SM. The original illustrations of the book are presented to the next edition of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair for a personal exhibition dedicated to the winner.
Individual illustrators or groups of illustrators of any nationality, provided they were born prior to 31st December 2002, whose artwork is intended for use in children’s books, are eligible to enter the Exhibition, either directly or through publishing houses or schools.
Illustrators may only enter one category — Fiction or Non-Fiction — and the illustrations (i.e. the size of the sheet) must not exceed the following dimensions:
- Fiction: 32 x 42 cm (or 42 x 32cm)
- Non Fiction: 50 x 70 cm (70 x 50 cm)
The entrants must send five original illustrations (fixed number), unpublished or published after 1st January 2018, in black and white or colour, produced using any technique, including digital technique (send the prints in case of mixed technique (analogical and digital) or digital media).
Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Fundación SM, whose intention is to promote children’s books and reading, have launched the Award in 2009 and since then, discover, encourage and support new talents in illustration.
The 2020 Bologna Children’s Book Fair is scheduled for 30 March — 2 April 2020, in Bologna, Italy.