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Brief Introduction
The China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF) is glad to announce that a new edition of its Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition is open to entries from 29 March to 11 June 2024.
The Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition is an international illustration contest held annually as part of the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), with the support of the Shanghai Press and Publication Administration. Since its creation in 2015, the competition has been providing a venue for emerging illustrators to showcase their talent. It aims to build bridges between them and children’s publishers, both locally and globally. In so doing it has given fresh life to China’s children’s book industry. The Golden Pinwheel is not merely a standalone competition—it is a comprehensive programme which includes exhibitions, an illustrated yearbook and a variety of promotional campaigns.
Since 2023, the organising committee has launched a new category—Commercial, in addition to the original submission category—Book Publishing, so as to encourage illustrators to demonstrate their commercial value through diversified forms of artistic expression, and to promote communication and cooperation with brands and advertisers.
In order to give recognition to the most talented artists in the competition, the 2024 Golden Pinwheel is offering a wide array of awards: Grand Award (China), Grand Award (International), Special Mentions and People’s Choice Award.
All finalists and winners will be featured in 2024 CCBF Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition Yearbook, which will also be presented at the Golden Pinwheel Illustration Exhibition held at the book fair from 15 to 17 November at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre (SWEECC).
In the last edition, after a two-month submission campaign, the competition received an amazing number of 13,508 artworks created by 2,582 artists from 79 countries and territories.
Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition 2024 Key Visual by the Mexican Illustrators Armando Fonseca and Amanda Mijangos
Awards
In order to give recognition to the most talented artists in the competition, the 2024 Golden Pinwheel is offering a wide array of awards: Grand Award (China), Grand Award (International), Special Mentions and People’s Choice Award.
All finalists and winners will be featured in 2024 CCBF Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition Yearbook, which will also be presented at the Golden Pinwheel Illustration Exhibition held at the book fair from 15 to 17 November at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre (SWEECC).
Beyond that, one of the award-winners will be chosen by the CCBF Organising Committee to design the key visual of the 2025 edition of the book fair. This new image will be an integral part of the fair’s visual communication for a whole year, including its use on our website, social media, gifts, and in advertisement campaigns.
Faithful to its core objective, the Golden Pinwheel Competition has shaped its prizes and distinctions on providing unique and distinctive opportunities to its participants. As an example, the winner of Grand Award (China) in Book Publishing Category will be invited to attend the 2025 edition of the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair (BCBF), and the winner of Grand Award (International) in Book Publishing Category will receive an invitation to the 2025 China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF). Both invitations include a flight ticket and full accommodation, covered by the event organiser. The winner of the Grand Award in Commercial Category will receive a commercial contract worth CNY 5,000 (tax included) for CCBF derivative products. The invited artists will have the opportunity to participate as guests in various illustration-related activities taking place at the fair.
This year, the Golden Pinwheel Illustration Competition continues the cooperation with the well-known Chinese children’s clothing brand M.latin and all finalist illustrators have the opportunity to sign a contract with M.latin children’s clothing brand. Founded in 2004 and based in Hangzhou, China, M.latin children’s wear has always focused on the original designs of high-end children’s clothing. It has an original designer children’s clothing brand M.latin, a fashionable children’s brand for all ages, MANHOJIA, a children’s companion growth brand, With me by M.latin, which uphold “Let children become their best selves” as the brand mission and aim at creating a kind, warm and beautiful environment for children.
How to Participate
The 2024 Golden Pinwheel Jury is a highly esteemed group of individuals carefully selected for their expertise and cultural backgrounds. Comprised of renowned illustrators, publishers, and editors from around the world, this jury brings a wealth of knowledge and diverse perspectives to the table. In 2024, the Golden Pinwheel Book Publishing Category Jury is formed by Picture Book Author, Critic, Independent Curator; Vice-president, JBBY Yukiko Hiromatsu (Japan), Author and Illustrator Jon Klassen (USA), Freelance Mediator; Lecturer, Epigramme & Collegram Morgane Vasta (France), Artist; Associate Professor, School of Design and Art, Hunan University Xiao Aozi (China), and Professor, Nanjing University of the Arts Yao Hong (China). In addition, CEO & Founding Publisher, HELVETIQ, Hadi Barkat (Switzerland), Co-founder and Coordinator, Mimaster Illustrazione, Milan Giacomo Benelli (Italy), Advertiser, Caricaturist Tango (China) complete the Golden Pinwheel Commercial Category Jury with their expertise.
All members share a deep understanding of illustration, writing, curating, art direction, advertising, and brand development. The Jury will also be in charge of choosing the winners of the prizes and distinctions designed to give recognition to the most talented artists in the competition.
Entry submissions: 29 March–11 June 2024
Finalists announcement: 5 September 2024
Award-winners announcement: 15 – 17 November 2024 (as part of the Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair)
The only official channel for registration and submission is the CCBF official website by clicking the submission button below. Please fill in the registration form and submit your work online. All hand-drawn illustrations must be scanned in high-definition.
Entries must meet the following criteria:
1) Format: JPG or PNG
2) Size: less than 20MB for each image
3) Resolution: 300 DPI or above
4) PowerPoint presentation slides: size less than 50MB
5) Video: format acceptable for MP4, MPEG, AVI, MOV, MPG, and size less than 500MB
11 June 2024, 23:59 (GMT+8)
For inquiries regarding submissions, reception, exhibitions and awards:
ccbf.goldenpinwheel@bfchina.net
Business sponsorships, advertisement, promotion and other partnerships:
Nina Liu
nina.liu@bfchina.net
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