Judging the Klaus Flugge Prize by Mariajo Illustrajo
The Klaus Flugge Prize shortlist for 2024 was announced in mid-May and the judges have a tough job on their hands. Previous winner and now judge, Mariajo Illustrajo has written a blog for us around this incredible award.
When I was a child, I wasn’t a good student, however I never stopped drawing, painting, collaging, etc. My dream was to become an “artist”! Therefore when I passed the exam to enter the art school to study illustration I was totally thrilled! A whole three years of life drawing, illustration techniques, art history, photography and a long list of amazing things to learn.
Before that, I was determined to become an artist, but I guess I didn’t know the full extent of it and definitely not what an illustrator did. There I learnt what an illustrator was and I fell in love with children’s books.
After many years working as a freelancer I enrolled in the prestigious MA in Children’s Books Illustration at Anglia Ruskin University. Thanks to this MA I became an author and illustrator of children’s picture books and I still can’t believe the success of my first book Flooded, which won the prestigious Klaus Flugge Prize.
Being the winner of this wonderful price was an absolute boost on SO many levels. Of course, having such recognition boosted my confidence, which often wobbles due to the solitary nature of my work, but also a great impulse for my career by giving exposure to my work and making me more desirable to work with.
As a former winner, this year I had the great opportunity of being a part of the judging process and I was delighted to. It was my first time at this kind of task and I really enjoyed the experience, from the moment that I started to receive books every day at my house to the day where all the judges met to talk about them.
The longlist was an amazing selection of books and after reading all of them carefully I had a vague idea of what my shortlist was. To my surprise, after discussing all the books with the rest of the judges I modified this list in my head, which later on I found out was also happening to my fellow judges. Sometimes by hearing others’ opinions we spot new things that perhaps we missed at first glance.
I guess this is what made the process so interesting, the exchange of different opinions and tastes, and the reasons behind it!
One of the things I found challenging as a judge about this year’s longlist was the variety of books on it. Books aimed at a very early age children to non-fiction for older children. How to judge them equally? However, I think the shortlist we drew up is beautiful and well balanced.
Emily Kapff shows real skill at drawing in the The Crown. She managed to create a vivid sense of drama through her pictures. I would dare to say that her haunting cover would invite you to open that book from a bookshelf immediately!
We all loved the energy of Bia Melo’s drawings and the sense of playful chaos she has created in her wonderful book The Dream Book. There’s a vibrant chaotic energy to the pages, which feels fresh, new and honest, all making sense with the story.
Henri and the Machine illustrated by Olga Shtonda (written by Isabelle Marinov), made me giggle the first time I read it, which for me is a great sign. There’s a complexity to the page layouts that we all admired. This book explains the point of art. As a designer, I loved the design element in this book, almost like beautiful packaging!
There is something very daring in Farah Loves Mangos by Sarthak Sinha. Perhaps it reminded me of my younger self, spending the summers with my grandparents, which made me really connect with this book from the first page. I love the sweet and funny story. The pages are well paced and designed. I like how the text works with the illustrations, the character and the colours.
The illustrations in Bright Stars of Black British History by Angela Vives (written by J. T. Williams) are delicate and beautiful, but there’s a boldness to them too. We loved her scenes and characters. We took notice at the borders within the pages which do much more than frame the images, and are very elegant.
Last but by no means least, The Fossil Hunter illustrated by Kate Winter. This is such a beautiful book and the illustrations feel really fresh all the way through. Kate shows real observational skill and there’s a sense of place and an atmosphere to all the pictures. There is a huge amount of work in this book.
There is such a beautiful and strong selection of books here!
It’s very important to spotlight and celebrate illustration, as the Klaus Flugge Prize does, to give space to newcomer artists (like I was!) who are just trying to get seen in what is becoming a more saturated market.
CONGRATULATIONS to all the shortlisted illustrators!
Born Mariano Ilustrado, Marjiajo Ilustrajo grew up in Madrid where she studied illustration at the school of art, Arte 10. She has worked as a freelance illustrator, completing projects for a wide range of clients with some personal projects along the way. A few years after finishing her studies as an illustrator, she moved to Bath to study Graphic Communication at Bath Spa University and in 2018 started an MA in Children’s Book Illustration, at Anglia Ruskin, in Cambridge. In November 2020 she was named overall winner of the 2020 Association of Illustrators World Illustration Awards, sponsored by Walker Books. In addition to winning the Klaus Flugge Prize, Flooded also won the English Association 4-11 Picture Book Award 2023 and the UK Literacy Association Picture Book Award 2023. It has now been translated into 20 languages. Her book Lost was published in 2023 and I Hate Love Books in March 2024.