Longlist for the 2023 First Graphic Novel Award announced

The 2023 First Graphic Novel Award has announced its longlist of thirty potentials in line to have their debut lengthy kind work revealed by SelfMadeHero. Returning after a 3 12 months hiatus the British competitors noticed a 50% enhance in submissions, a much bigger bounce than earlier editions.

The thirty longlisted entries ranged from a silent story about loneliness and connection in Mongolia; Scottish folklore and queer love; fictional, biographical and autobiographical tales of incapacity; mysterious murders and disappearances; documentary explorations of the proper to protest, values and non secular perception; and extra.

Award director Corinne Pearlman stated,

“This year we received 170 entries, nearly 50% more than in previous years, which is an illustration of the huge number of comics creators seeking publication in a very restricted market. Many have been burning the midnight oil to prepare their entries and we are grateful to all of them for sharing such a high standard of work. We had enormous pleasure in reading all the submissions, but several readings and vibrant conversations later, we are all happy to celebrate these 30 works-in-progress.”

Entrants had been to submit 15-30 web page extracts of their work in progress. The winner might be supplied a publishing contract with SelfMadeHero, an advance towards royalties, editorial and design assist to deliver their work-in-progress challenge to fruition, plus a £500 money prize from The bks Agency. Longlisted entries might be even be displayed at Thought Bubble Festival in Harrogate from November 10 to 12; with the shortlist being declared November 10. The winner might be unveiled at an occasion held at Waterstones Piccadilly, London, on December 11.

The judging panel comprised broadcast journalist Alex Fitch; SelfMadeHero writer Emma Hayley; graphic novelist, artist, and 2018-shortlisted entrant Sabba Khan (What Is Home, Mum?); Cartoon Museum Learning Officer Steve Marchant; author/editor Ayoola Solarin; up to date artist Mark Wallinger; and award director Corinne Pearlman.

For a synopsis of every title, try the First Graphic Novel Award web site. The thirty longlisted entrants are:

Charlotte Bailey, Saturday Soup Days	Anna-Maria Glover, The True Fish
	Chris Halls, The Seeds of Merydyan	Alexander Taylor, Bone Broth
	Christine Humphreys, O Sef!	Hariet Titlow, Hattie & Pod
Robbie Brewster, Click Memory Brick
Zoe Delautre Corral, April seventeenth	Graham Johnstone, Francis Bacon: The Black Triptych
Gareth Cowlin, The Hiraeth Cub*		Myfanwy Tristram, The Noisy Valley
Gareth Cowlin, D-D-Disfluent*	Lucy Maughan, Staring into Space	Kelly Vassie, From the Bones of Old Horses
Wallis Eates, Old Cornflower	Lizzie Mikietyn, In Good Faith	Jonah Walker, Water, Blood, and Wine
		Corban Wilkin, The Infinite Benefits of Shame
Mereida Fajardo, Zayani Zam	Ying Ru-Chen, If Only Someone Sees You	Edie Woolf, Sea Nettle Beach

*two entries

Originally longlisted work was to be displayed at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival on the weekend of September 29, two weeks after the September 14 deadline. The bumper crop of 170 submissions seemingly required extra time for cautious consideration to succeed in the longlist of 30 titles – as the award timeline has shifted barely.

The First Graphic Novel Award has been round since 2012. Originally known as the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition (sponsored by Myriad Editions) it ran till 2020. Each version has result in the publication of critically acclaimed work – from winners and finalists. The 2023 First Graphic Novel Award is sponsored by London’s Cartoon Museum, writer SelfMadeHero, and literary administration firm The bks Agency; with grant help from the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society. Other companions of the award embrace former sponsoring-publisher Myriad Editions, the LDComics community, VIP Brands, and UK comics occasions Lakes International Comic Art Festival and Thought Bubble.