How to Enter

Head to our Entry Portal to submit your entry. See our criteria below.

Illustration Submission Criteria

• Please use the website entry portal to submit your work.
• Your submissions must include:
• A portfolio of your work including a minimum of ten sample pieces of artwork OR full layouts and illustrations for a 32-page picture book.
• A link to your online portfolio, website or Instagram page.
• Entries can include text, but text is not necessary to enter the illustration competition.
• Please send your art as a PDF.
• Please include your name in the file name.
• In order to get the very most out of the prize, please do consider sending in a range of styles, such as colour spreads, black and white line work, etc. This allows you to show off the full range of your work and the multiple age groups it might appeal to. For example, pencil or black line tends to be used for books for 7–12 year old readers. Colour art is generally used in books for 0–5 years olds and for cover commissions. Let us see what you can do!

Text submission criteria

• Please use the website entry portal to submit your work.
• Your submission must be a maximum of 5,000 words of text.
• There is no minimum word count and the maximum 5,000 words can be a sample of a longer work – it does not have to be a short story (though those are welcome too!)
• We do strongly advise you to complete your work insofar as you can, even if you do not enter the whole manuscript: after the ceremony agents will request the full manuscript, so in order to get the most out of the prize, it is best to have the whole manuscript ready to go.
• Please send in the complete story if the text is for a picture book. (Picture books should not be longer than 5000 words).
• If your text competition entry is for an illustrated book, you do not need to submit illustrations.
• No handwritten entries please.
• Please submit the text either as a Word document or as a PDF.
• Please include your name in the file name.

General Criteria

• Entrants must be of Black, Asian or non-white minority ethnic background.
• Entrants must be previously unpublished. This does not include self-published authors and illustrators. Self-published entrants are eligible and encouraged to apply.
• Entries must be text or artwork for children (i.e. 1-18 years), not for adults.
• UK and Ireland residents only.
• Applicants must be over 18.
• Applicants can apply for both prizes – text and illustration – but can only submit one entry per text or art category. All entries will be acknowledged on receipt, but only shortlistees will be contacted directly. Winners will be revealed at the Awards ceremony, or shortly afterwards if winners are unable to attend.

If you have any queries about criteria, please email prize@fabfaber.co.uk.

What you Win

First Prize for text

• £1,500
• Free place on an online Faber Academy writing course*
• Arranged and funded by BookTrust, the opportunity to shadow already established illustrators on virtual school visits

First Prize for illustration

• £1,500
• A one-year portfolio membership from the Association of Illustrators, worth £200
• Arranged and funded by BookTrust, the opportunity to shadow already established illustrators on school visits

Second Prize

• £500
• A selection of Faber books

All winners will receive:

• Exclusive access to the Faber Insight Into Publishing podcast, an eleven-episode series with advice from professionals across the industry.
• A feature in the FAB Prize Booklet for the year of their entry. This will be shared with agents and other professionals within the industry. First Place, Second Place, Highly Commended and Commended winners will also have their work and a short biography showcased within the booklet.
• Access to industry events and updates via the FAB alumni. Included in this is access to a closed Facebook group for all our alumni.
• Priority spaces on BookTrust Represent workshops.

*Terms and conditions
The free place on an online Faber Academy course can be selected from the following and is subject to availability:

Masterclass: Plotting
Masterclass: The Whole Writing Process in One Go
Masterclass: Editing
Masterclass: Synopses
Masterclass: Planning and Writing the Mirror
Masterclass: Setting
Masterclass: The Idea of Pace
Masterclass: Coming at Character from All Angles
Masterclass: Triangles and Squares in Fiction
Masterclass: The Idea of Conflict

Supporters

The FAB Prize is proud to be supported by BookTrust and the AOI who both offer opportunities to our FAB Prize entrants.

BookTrust is the UK’s largest children’s reading charity; each year they reach 3.9 million children with books, resources and support. BookTrust Represents is a three-year project to promote children’s authors and illustrators of colour. BookTrust’s research with UCL revealed that fewer than 6% of children’s authors and illustrators were people of colour. BookTrust is delighted to be working with the FAB Prize to help change this.

BookTrust Represents gives support and increases the exposure of existing authors and illustrators of colour by promoting them in schools, bookshops and festivals; to inspire the next generation of children’s book creators by getting writers and illustrators of colour into schools across the country as well as offering training and mentoring to new and aspiring authors and illustrators of colour – including the fabulous FAB prize winners. To find out more about BookTrust Represents and our research see here.

The Association of Illustrators (AOI) is the world’s leading illustration body supporting and sustaining illustrators and the illustration industry. Established in 1973 the AOI offers its 2,700+ members from around the world professional support, online resources as well as holding meet ups, webinars and events throughout the UK. The AOI has successfully campaigned to increase the standing of illustration as a profession and improve commercial and ethical conditions. With a membership that includes freelance illustrators, agents, students and colleges the AOI continues to support and educate future generations at every stage of their career.