Faber announces winners of the 2024 FAB Prize
Debbie Antwi and Aisha Stoll are the first-place winners of this year’s FAB Prize for text and illustration.
The winners were announced at an award ceremony yesterday evening, which took place at The Bindery with a keynote speech from writer, illustrator and FAB Prize alumni, Ramsey Hassan. The first of its kind in the UK, the FAB Prize aims to discover and showcase new talent from creatives of colour, closing the gap between what is currently published and the reality for many families.
Debbie Antwi won the text prize for her submission The Munchkins. The judges said: ‘The Munchkins stood out for its humour and originality. Children reading for pleasure is such a priority and stories like this remind us of the important part fun and silliness have to play.’
Aisha Stoll, first place illustration winner, submitted a selection of illustrations, which the judges described as ‘stunning, stylish and sumptuous. We loved the focus on nature with colours that brought her subjects off the page.’
Second place for the text prize was awarded to Andrea White for her submission Deity of a Drowning Realm. The judges commented ‘Deity of A Drowning Realm was a refreshing take on familiar tropes. We wanted to see more of this world that had been so beautifully woven together’. Rose Antony was awarded second place for the illustration prize, the judges said: ‘Rose’s black and white illustrations were so arresting. We were immediately drawn to her characters and the depth of emotion each conveyed. We wanted to know their story!’
Ama Badu, FAB Prize judge said:
‘We were blown away by the remarkable talent we saw this year. Each of our shortlisted entries showed originality and flair. They are the future of storytelling and our rising stars. I cannot wait to see what they go on to achieve.’
John-Paul Kunrunmi, FAB Prize judge and social media creator said:
‘This was my first time judging a book prize and it was harder than I thought it would be. There was so much good writing to choose from! I had to look at everything twice before whittling down my options. All the shortlisted writers and artists have a love for their craft and I’m super excited for the young adult and children’s books to come.’
Lucy Bannerman, FAB Prize judge and Times journalist said:
‘It has been an absolute joy reading these entries. They have been, by turns, edgy, comic, poignant, challenging. Some have taken us to lush fantastical places in the future, others have transported us back to hidden places in the past. Many wrestled with the big questions of the present in funny and surprising ways. Each of them had something special. Congratulations to all the authors.’
First prize winners each receive a cash prize of £1,500, a place on a Faber Academy writing course (text), a one-year membership to the AOI (illustration) and the opportunity to shadow already established authors and illustrators on virtual school visits thanks to the support of BookTrust. All shortlistees will see their work included in a bespoke booklet that Faber sends out to agents in the industry.
The FAB Prize is run by Faber and is also supported by BookTrust and the AOI who both offer incredible opportunities to FAB Prize entrants and winners.
Photography by Adrian Pope
