SelfMadeHero And London’s Cartoon Museum Launch 2023 First Graphic Novel Award
by Richard Bruton
London’s Cartoon Museum and one of the great British publishers, SelfMadeHero, have announced a new iteration of the First Graphic Novel Award, offering a cash prize and support to publication from SelfMadeHero.
The award, for debut authors who have not previously been published, continues the fine work of Corinne Pearlman and Myriad Editions, who founded the prize in 2012 as the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition. As well as publishing books by the four finalists, Myriad has also published six other shortlisted authors. The Myriad prize launched in 2012, and ran in 2014, 2018, and 2020.
The Award asks authors to submit 15-30 pages of a graphic novel in progress, fiction or non-fiction. A selected author will be given support to complete the work for publication by SelfMadeHero, and awarded a prize of £500 sponsored by the bks Agency. The closing date is 14th September 2023.
The project is supported by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF), Thought Bubble Festival and The bks Agency.
The judges include graphic novel editor Ayoola Solarin, artist Mark Wallinger, Cartoon Museum Learning & Outreach Officer Steve Marchant, broadcast journalist Alex Fitch, graphic novelist Sabba Khan, author of the award-winning The Roles We Play (shortlisted, 2018), and Emma Hayley, Director, SelfMadeHero. James Spackman at The bks Agency will review the longlisted creators’ work.
Corinne Pearlman, the project leader and one of the judges, has been with the award from the outset as Myriad’s former Creative Director. She has now established the award on an independent platform with seed money from the ALCS. She has this to say about the next phase of the awards:
“I’m delighted to be taking forward the award with the support of new partners The Cartoon Museum, SelfMadeHero and ALCS. Myriad’s celebrated list of graphic novels has seen great benefits from the scheme. Now we can share that experience with others. This is the first time we have been able to offer the winner a prize of £500, thanks to sponsors the bks Agency.”
Emma Hayley, Director, SelfMadeHero, says:
“The UK needs more of this. As the future publisher of the winning entry, SelfMadeHero furthers its commitment to fostering and inspiring new talent. I am very excited that we are a part of this.”
Joe Sullivan, Director, Cartoon Museum, says:
“There is a long and fantastic history of finding the very best new talent through the First Graphic Novel competition. The Museum is committed to championing emerging artists, and look forward to discovering our new favourite graphic novels later this year.”
Full details of competition guidelines and entry details can be found here – firstgraphicnovel.co.uk.
The previous competition winners – Gareth Brookes (The Black Project, 2012), Jade Sarson (For the Love of God, Marie!, 2014), Jenny Robins (Biscuits, 2018) and Veronika Muchitsch (Cyberman, 2022) – highlight just ho w impressive the competition has always been – with those four books all incredibly strong.
