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 27 April to 26 June 2023.
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. In the last edition, after a three-month submission campaign, the competition received an amazing number of artworks—12,130 pictures created by 2,426 artists from 82 countries and territories. 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.
The Golden Pinwheel Competition Opens Up New Opportunities
Since 2023, the organising committee will launch 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 illustrators and brands, advertisers.
In order to give recognition to the most talented artists in the competition, the 2023 Golden Pinwheel is offering a wide array of awards: the Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (rewarding the two most outstanding artworks for each category—one from China and one from overseas), the Golden Pinwheel Special Mentions and the People's Choice Award for both categories. In addition to the above award, the Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition organising committee goes on the “award-to-award” cooperation with the Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest to offer the Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition Astra Award. This joint award aims to promote international collaboration and publication among picture book illustrators and writers. The award is open to all 50 finalists from Book Publishing Category of the Golden Pinwheel Competition and judged by an independent jury appointed by the sponsors of the Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest.
Beyond that, one of the Book Publishing Category award-winners will be chosen by the CCBF Organising Committee to design the key visual of the 2024 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.
All 100 finalists (50 from Book Publishing Category and 50 from Commercial Category) will be featured in 2023 CCBF Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition Yearbook, which will also be presented at the 2023 Golden Pinwheel Illustration Exhibition held at the book fair from 17 to 19 November at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre (SWEECC).
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 the Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (China) in Book Publishing Category will be invited to attend the 2024 edition of the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair (BCBF), and the winner of the Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (International) in Book Publishing Category will receive an invitation to the 2024 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 Golden Pinwheel Grand Award (China &International) in Commercial Category will receive bonus reward of CNY 10,000 (tax included) provided by competition committee. The invited artists will have the opportunity to participate as guests in various illustration-related activities taking place at the fair.
The Golden Pinwheel Competition Welcomes New Partner
This year, the Golden Pinwheel Illustration Competition started a 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.
