Enter the competition
The Notte di Fiaba Illustration Contest is back! The call for entries of the 13th edition is now open!
The Notte di Fiaba Illustration Contest returns with a new creative adventure dedicated to DON QUIXOTE: a traveling exhibition with its official catalogue and a picture book illustrated by the winner, to be published by Giunti.
Requirements:
- Complete storyboard
- Two finished illustrations
The announcement of the winners will take place at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2027!
The exhibition will open at MAG Museo Alto Garda at the end of August 2027, during the Notte di Fiaba Festival, on the occasion of the award ceremony and the presentation of the illustrated book.
The official regulations: https://online.fliphtml5.com/mvvv/lhuj/
An example of the published picture book: https://online.fliphtml5.com/mvvv/enws/
Jury’s tips for illustrators: We are looking for experimental illustration and a personal style free from the stereotypes of cartoons, comics or manga. We want to discover new visual languages capable of surprising us.
- Read carefully:
a. the contest regulations
b. the story to be illustrated
- Create a coherent, engaging storyboard with a strong narrative rhythm, through:
a. unexpected perspectives
b. a thoughtful balance of full and empty spaces
c. a well-considered use of color
d. consistency in your illustrative style
- Do not repeat the text literally; your illustrations can tell much more.
- Maintain alignment between the text, its audience, and your artistic choices.
- Study the characters carefully to give them credibility and stage presence.
- Don’t forget to leave space for the text.
- Avoid placing important elements:
a. on the edges of the illustration, as they may be cut off during the printing and biding process
b. in the center of the spread, as they may be affected by the binding
This year’s contest promotion will be accompanied by the illustrations created during the Advanced Illustration Course held by Master Svjetlan Junaković in Riva del Garda last August. The first illustration we present to you – chosen as the official image of the call – is by Marica Maggiotti (@marica_maggiotti_illustration).
Submission deadline: March 19th, 2027, at 11:59 PM
For information: concorsonottedifiaba@gmail.com
Discover the past editions of the competition
Notte di Fiaba Illustration Contest was born in 2014 on the initiative of Enzo Bassetti, Honorary President of Notte di Fiaba, and was conceived and designed by Chiara Tomasi, Artistic Director of the Contest, with the support of Professor Livio Sossi, one of the most authoritative European scholars of children's literature and illustration.
