Submissions are now open for the FAB Prize geared toward children’s book writers and illustrators of color. This is the perfect opportunity for African writers to put themselves out there, as the winner for each category receives £1,500.

In 2017, Faber created the FAB Prize to help discover new writers and illustrators of colour in children’s publishing. This prize is the first of its kind in the UK and its alumni include Ngadi Smart (illustrator of Musical Truth by Jeffrey Boakye and Akhran Girmay), Hannah Lee and Allen Fatimaharan (The Rapping Princess) and Janelle McCurdy (author of Mia and the Lightcasters).

The Prize is judged by Faber’s Publisher Leah Thaxton, Curtis Brown Agent Davinia Andrew-Lynch, Faber Children’s Art Director Emma Eldridge and Faber Children’s Assistant Editor Ama Badu/ This year’s guest judges include award-winning Times journalist Lucy Bannerman and BookTok influencer, John-Paul Kunrunmi.

The first prize winner in the text category receives £1,500, a free place on an online Faber Academy writing course, and the opportunity to shadow already established authors on virtual school visits.

The first prize winner for illustration gets £1,500, a one-year portfolio membership from the Association of Illustrators, worth £200, and the opportunity to shadow already established illustrators on school visits.

Meanwhile, second prize winners will receive £500 and a selection of Faber books. All winners will also get exclusive access to the Faber Insight Into Publishing podcast, a feature in the FAB Prize Booklet for the year of their entry, access to industry events and updates via the FAB alumni, and priority spaces on BookTrust Represent workshops.

Submission Guidelines:

  • 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  • Entrants must be previously unpublished.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.
  • 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.

lllustration Submission Criteria:

  • 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.
  • Include 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:

  • 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.

All entries will be acknowledged on receipt, but only shortlistees will be contacted directly and informed by September 27. Winners will be revealed at the Awards ceremony in November.

Deadline: June 28, 2024

Submit here.

Go here for more details

Good luck to all applicants!