Can you win a MacMillan Prize?

What would you do to see you work published? Third year graphic design and illustration student Laura Anderson is taking part in the annual MacMillan children’s book illustrations competition. MacMillan publishing runs a competition every year that gives one budding artist the chance to get their work published and exhibited in public.


Laura explains:

“We have to create a children’s story book. Everything has to be original, from the story to the illustrations. It must be aimed towards a child 5 years of age or under. We were also told that it would be helpful to familiarise ourselves with current children’s books that are on the market”.

This is a highly sort after prize that students from universities and colleges from all over the country compete in. Laura seemed confident about her entry:

“My entry is about a little girl and her family who have to move from their big house in the countryside to a small flat in the city. The story is about the little girls journey and how she discovers she can still enjoy nature even though she no longer has a garden of her own. I am a joint graphic design and illustration student so I feel I have an advantage over some other entries.”

The entries for this big competition must be entered to the MacMillan Children’s Book headquarters in London either by post or by hand from Monday 19th April to Friday 23rd April. The winner will be notified by May 4th 2010. But who chooses the winner?

Laura clarifies:

“Our entries will be judged by a panel that included two well known children’s book illustrators, an experienced children’s bookseller, the managing director of MacMillan Children’s Books, Emma Hopkin and Anne Glen who is the art director”.

The selected winners of the award will be notified by phone by a representative from Macmillan Children’s Book. As well as winners some entries will be given a highly commended award, these entries will receive letters by email or post.

Once the entries have been judged, the winners and highly commend entries will be exhibited at the MacMillan Children’s Book headquarters from Tuesday 18th May to Friday 21st May, this is open to the general public. All students who have had their entries selected for exhibition will receive invitations to a private viewing and the awards ceremony.

Macmillan was founded by Daniel and Alexander Macmillan in 1843. These two brothers had an eye for business and illustration, prompting them to create their own publishing company. As the company grew, Macmillan published such authors as W. B. Yeats, Sean O'Casey, John Maynard Keynes, Charles Morgan, Hugh Walpole, Margaret Mitchell, C. P. Snow and Rumer Godden. Nowadays Macmillan is one of the largest and well-known publishers in the world. They operate in over 70 countries. Macmillan is now giving future illustrators the chance they need to get published and start a successful career.