The Cartoon Museum, SelfMadeHero and Award Director Corinne Pearlman have announced announce the longlist for the First Graphic Novel Award 2023.
The competition offers the winner, or winners, the opportunity to have their completed graphic novel published by SelfMadeHero. It is open to all cartoonists, writers and artists who are UK residents, individually or as a team, who have not previously published a full-length graphic work. Entrants were asked to submit 15-30 pages of a graphic work-in-progress, fiction or non-fiction.
Their entries will be displayed at Thought Bubble Festival in Harrogate on 10th November, where the short list will be announced. The eventual winner will be announced at Waterstones Piccadilly in Londoon on 11th December.
This year’s judges are artist Sabba Khan, whose graphic memoir The Roles We Play was shortlisted in 2018; contemporary artist Mark Wallinger, SelfMadeHero publisher Emma Hayley, Cartoon Museum Learning Officer Steve Marchant, editor and writer Ayoola Solarin, broadcast journalist Alex Fitch, and award director Corinne Pearlman, former Creative Director at Myriad Editions.
“This year we received 170 entries, nearly 50 per cent more than in previous years,”notes Corinne Pearlman, “which is an illustration of the huge number of comics creators seeking publication in a very restricted market. Many have been burning the midnight oil to prepare their entries and we are grateful to all of them for sharing such a high standard of work.
“We had enormous pleasure in reading all the submissions, but several readings and vibrant conversations later, we are all happy to celebrate these 30 works-in-progress.”
Longlisted authors will receive feedback from the judges and have their work reviewed by the Bks Agency, sponsors of the £500 prize for the winner.
The award was previously known as the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition. Myriad’s graphics list includes the four previous winners and six other books by shortlisted authors.
In addition to sponsorship from the Bks Agency, the Award is also supported by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS).
The longlisted artists are: Glenn Hustler • Emma Pratt • Ying Ru-Chen • Anna-Maria Glover • Anna Trench • Christine Humphreys • Gareth Cowlin (two entries) • Robbie Brewster • Chris Halls • Eszter-Simavari • Cathy Brett • Mereida Fajardo • Myfanwy Tristram • Steven Thompson • Edie Woolf • Wallis Eates • Corban Wilkin • Hariet Titlow • Elena Blanco • Zoe Delautre Corral • Kelly Vassie • Jonah Walker • Lucy Maughan • Lizzie Mikietyn • Graham Johnstone • Leina Elgohari • Alexander Taylor • Charlotte Bailey • Chris King
• For more information on the entries longlisted, visit firstgraphicnovel.co.uk
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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