The Seventeenth International COMPOSTELA Prize for Picture Books is a prestigious award aimed at celebrating and promoting the artistic and literary creation of picture books for children and young adults. Organized by the Department of Education of the City Council of Santiago de Compostela in collaboration with the esteemed Kalandraka publishers, this accolade draws attention to the unique form of storytelling that picture books represent. Picture books, recognized for their ability to convey narratives through the interplay of text and illustration, offer a rich medium for storytelling that appeals to the imagination of young readers. This competition invites authors and illustrators from around the globe to contribute their original and unpublished works, emphasizing creativity, originality, and the ability to resonate with a young audience.
With a focus on fostering a love for reading and art among children and adolescents, the International COMPOSTELA Prize underscores the importance of picture books in educational and developmental contexts. It encourages participants to explore diverse themes, techniques, and formats, without restricting creativity to a specific size or technique, as long as the work does not exceed 40 inner pages. This openness to innovation and diversity in submissions ensures a wide range of entries, enriching the competition and providing young readers with access to a varied and vibrant selection of picture books. By accepting entries in any of the official languages of the Iberian Peninsula, the prize also celebrates linguistic diversity, making it a truly international competition.
The collaboration between the City Council of Santiago de Compostela and Kalandraka publishers brings a significant level of expertise and recognition to the competition, positioning the International COMPOSTELA Prize as a leading award in the field of children’s literature. This partnership not only amplifies the reach and prestige of the award but also ensures that the winning entries receive professional publication and distribution. As such, the COMPOSTELA Prize for Picture Books serves as an invaluable platform for emerging and established authors and illustrators, offering them the opportunity to gain international exposure and contribute to the rich, diverse world of children’s literature.
There is no entry fee.
Eligibility
Open to authors of any nationality, except winners from previous years and current or former employees of Kalandraka.
Prize
The winner of the contest will receive a €9000 prize, with the winning work being published in Galician, Catalan, Basque, Castilian Spanish, and Portuguese by Kalandraka in November 2024.
