THE GERMAN, AUSTRIAN AND SWISS ENTRY

You can enter the competition until June 25, 2023.

The rules are plain and simple:

  • NOT Published

    The illustrations should not have been published before.

    You may enter only if you have not published an entire picture book with a trade publisher before. You are, however, allowed to enter if you have published educational books or other forms and genres before (e.g. in a poetry anthology, adult fiction, book covers, etcetera).

  • The story

    It might already exist or it can be one of your own stories.

    First and far most you’re an illustrator and not a storyteller. It’s great to have you’re own story but if you have not, use a story of someone else. So you can use a classic story as well. We just want to see if you have the talent to tell a story with your illustrations. In the upload-stage you will add a PDF-document that includes the text that goes with each illustration and a short synopsis of the complete story (not more than 250 words).

  • The illustrations

    Three illustrations, one story.

    You will tell one story, or part of a bigger story, by three illustrations. Any technique or medium could be used. And always remember: You will create a picture book for children. Be as creative as you can be but never let the story and the audience out of sight.

  • Upload

    With the upload form below you enter the upload stage.

    You will add you’re three illustrations and a PDF-document that includes the text that goes with each illustration and a short synopsis (not more than 250 words).

  • Wait

    Until somewhere in August.

    A professional jury will select the three best entries. Winners will be informed by email but the results will also be announced on the Picture This! website and the socials of Lemniscaat, Bilderbuchmuseum Troisdorf and Fischer Sauerländer in August 2023.

Not from the Netherlands and Belgium, United Kingdom, South Africa or Germany, Austria and Switzerland?

Illustrators from countries other than these are also allowed to enter the competition by uploading to any of the organizing countries. For the sake of easy communication for all jury members, your text must be in English.

What could be in it for you?

Winning Picture This! 2023 Germany-Austria-Switzerland Gives you the spotlight to get your work published with publishers worldwide. You will not be the first to enter this competition and have a picture book on you’re name in a year or two.

The final selection will be published in an international catalogue and presented to several leading picture book publishing houses at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2024, this gives the artists an excellent opportunity to find commissions.

An inspirational workshop by an outstanding German illustrator.

The works of all winning artists will be part of the Picture this!-exhibition in KUNZT.

Upload your work

Your entry has to meet the following conditions:

  1. The maximum size of the images is A3. Please mention the real size in the accompanying text.
  2. The resolution of the images has to be at least 150 dpi.
  3. The maximum size of the seperate files is 600 KB.
  4. Please name the files as follows: “firstname_lastname_1” “firstname_lastname_2” “firstname_lastname_3” “firstname_lastname_txt” Example: “John_Johnson_1.jpg”