Silent Book Contest 2021

Carthusia Edizioni as one of the main organizers for this contest has dedicated the Silent Book Contest since 2018 to Gianni De Conno, one of the greatest illustrators of the Italian publishing scene, who was over the years awarded with the Andersen Prize as an illustrator of the year 2005, the Award for Communication Arts of Excellence several times between 1998 and 2010, and was given the gold medal from the Society of Illustrators in New York in 2008 and 2010. The Silent Book Contest competition invites authors, illustrators and artists to think up and design a book conceived exclusively for the telling of a story through illustrated images, on any subject and intended for a wide and diverse section of the reading public, regardless of genre or age.

In order to apply all applicants must be over the age of 18 on 15th February 2021. The competition is exclusively reserved for new and unpublished illustrated books without words. There is no specific topic for the contest and there are no restrictions to any age group and readers. The narration must be carried out exclusively through illustrated images and have narrative and stylistic coherence. There are no limitations on the type of media used to illustrate the books, whether it is digital or traditional.

The finalists for the competition will be announced and their works will be exhibited at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Salone del Libro of Turin. The selected winner will sign a regular publishing contract and will receive a cash prize of Euro 4.000 as advance for copyright with publishing agreement. The winning book project will be published by Carthusia Edizioni which will be added and promoted as part of the publishers editorial catalogue. Usually the book is presented in August at the Award Ceremony in Montereggio in Tuscany, Italy.