The bookseller – News – Folio Society launches an illustration prize

The Folio Society has launched a new annual award for illustrators worldwide to mark the publisher’s 75th anniversary.

Registrations are now open for the inauguration Folio Book Illustration Award (Folio BIA). which aims to find new illustration talents for narrative fiction. Participants can be students or professional illustrators who have not yet been commissioned by The Folio Society, and this year will be invited to illustrate a single scene of their choice from Edgar Allan Poe. The Masque of the Red Death.

Selected from a shortlist of six, the winner will receive a cash prize of £2,000 plus a £500 Folio gift voucher. The remaining shortlisted artists will each receive a £500 voucher.

The judging panel includes award-winning New York illustrator and instructor Yuko Shimizu, Folio Society publishing director Tom Walker, Folio Society art directors Sheri Gee and Raquel Leis Allion. The winner and the five shortlisted finalists will be offered the opportunity for a portfolio review with the art directors.

Commenting on the launch, Joanna Reynolds, CEO of The Folio Society, said: “For 75 years, The Folio Society has proudly published beautifully illustrated books and produced editions of the best in contemporary and classic narrative fiction. What better way to recognize this, our 75th anniversary and the fabulous contribution of illustrators everywhere, than through an accessible and international contest.

The application window closes June 30, 2025, after which a long list of 20 entries chosen by the judges will be on display on The Folio Society’s website beginning July 18, 2025. The six shortlisted entries will be announced online on July 16. august.

Tom Walker, publishing director of The Folio Society, added that by taking a classic American writer and inviting visual interpretations of his timeless short story, organizers hoped to uncover “incredible talent among a diverse and distinctly diverse array of illustrators. of the 21st century”.

“We hope artists from around the world will bring their unique portrayal of Poe’s chilling story to contemporary and future generations. I am sure it will be the start of many new and great careers,” he said.