Grace LaPrade wins the inaugural Post Wave Prize for Illustration
We’re delighted to announce Grace LaPrade as the winner of the inaugural Post Wave Prize for Illustration 2026. Her winning piece called Island House Mouse will be displayed on Post Wave’s stand at the Bologna Book Fair this year.
Grace LaPrade, who lives in Buffalo, New York, graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art with a BFA in Illustration and has been working at a local Montessori school while pursuing her ambition of becoming a children’s book illustrator.
The prize was open to emerging and aspiring illustrators, aged 18 or over, who are not yet commercially published or commissioned in children’s books and over 500 entries were received. Chair of Judges, Avni Patel, Design Director at Post Wave Children’s Books, said: ‘The judges were inspired by the quality, diversity and global reach of this year’s entries and by the thoughtful way artists engaged with the theme, Time for Tea. The depth of creativity made our deliberations both challenging and rewarding. After many hours of discussion, our winner ultimately shone through with originality, flair and distinctive style.’
Grace LaPrade said: ‘As an emerging illustrator, receiving the Post Wave Prize for Illustration is a boost to continue doing what I love. It serves as a reminder that working towards my goals and putting myself out there can lead to the most exciting and unexpected adventures. I am so grateful for this opportunity to connect with other picture book creators and am beyond excited to make art while immersed in the beauty and culture of Anxi County!’
Of the winner, judge and fellow illustrator, Daishu Ma said: ‘Island House Mouse is quirky, charming and brimming with intrigue. Grace’s imagery creates a world of dramatic tension. I felt compelled to find out more about the story.’
Kaori Hayama, who lives in Mexico, was Highly Commended for her piece, Time for Tea!. Judge Marc Majewski said: ‘Kaori’s illustration shows a strong sense of simplicity, colour, and shape. The compositions feel clear and well-balanced, inviting us into the beginning of a warm and relatable story that would work beautifully as a board book. Her work feels confident, polished, and very appealing.’
Kaori Hayama said: ‘I am incredibly grateful to be recognised by the judges of the Post Wave Prize. Creating these illustrations was a very joyful process, so it means a lot to see it resonates with other people. I’m very grateful for this opportunity, and very excited to continue developing my illustration practice.’
Avni Patel was joined on the international judging panel by Allison Moore (Publishing Director, US, Post Wave Children’s Books), Marc Majewski (Art Director, Berlin Studio, Post Wave Children’s Books and illustrator), Daishu Ma (creator of the Tiger and Mei picture books), Pam Smy (author and former Senior Lecturer at the Cambridge School of Art and illustrator), Laurence King (former CEO and founder of Laurence King Publishing), Arthur Hubschmid (previously Editor-in-Chief of L’école des loisirs) and the Children’s Editorial Team at Post Wave China.
The winner receives a cash prize of £3000, an expenses paid trip to China and the opportunity to be published by Post Wave Publishing UK Ltd. The highly commended entry will also be awarded a portfolio review. The prize is supported by Anxi County Historical and Cultural Research Association, Fujian Province, China
The 2027 prize will open for submissions on 1st October 2026 with the theme of A Bridge to Another World.
See here for full terms and conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Post Wave Prize for children’s book Illustration is an illustration prize run by Post Wave Publishing UK Ltd, an offshoot of Post Wave Publishing China, with offices in the UK, Germany and the USA. The prize is supported by Anxi County Historical and Cultural Research Association, Fujan Province, China. The aim of the prize is to support and promote emerging children’s book illustrators as they take their first steps towards a creative profession. An overall winner of the prize will be selected, along with highly commended entries.
The prize is open to emerging and aspiring illustrators, aged 18 or over, who are not yet commercially published or commissioned in children’s books. Entrants may already be represented by an agent but must not have entered into a publishing contract or accepted an offer of publication from a publisher anywhere in the world in respect of any of their illustrations in the timeframe of the competition (i.e. October 2026 to March 2027)
Entries are accepted from illustrators based anywhere in the world, whose work adheres to the submission criteria provided by Post Wave Publishing UK Ltd, as set out below and in the Terms and Conditions.
Submissions for the 2027 prize open at 09.30 (BST) on 1st October 2026 and close at 17.30 (GMT) on 4th January 2027. The award is open to illustrators working in any media (traditional or digital but not AI) but all submissions must be made digitally. Submissions received after the closing date will not be considered. Postal submissions will not be considered. Only one entry per candidate is allowed.
We’re looking for illustrators who can bring the theme ‘A Bridge to Another World’ to life with originality, heart and a strong sense of storytelling through artwork. It could be a fantastical adventure in space, an insight into someone else’s life or an imaginative daydream. It may be something wildly unexpected or something quieter and closer to home, but your work should be imaginative, connect with children and show real artistic skill.
Entrants MUST submit a cover and one double page spread of full colour art for a children’s illustrated book of fiction or non-fiction based on the theme. Three supporting images may also be supplied but these are optional. The double page spread submitted should include an excerpt of text that supports the images. The text could be an original piece of writing, a collaboration with a writer or a piece of uncopyrighted text in the public domain (e.g. a traditional fairy tale). Please note that submissions will be judged on illustrations only and not text. Submissions should focus on appropriateness of content for the child reader and should adhere to the submissions and eligibility guidelines that have been set out.
The judges will be specifically looking for:
- Originality – The work shows fresh ideas, a personal style and an imaginative approach
- Visual Storytelling – The narrative of the scene shown is clear and engaging
- Artistic Skill – The use of colour, line, composition, style and materials is confident and effective
- Fit to Brief – The piece responds well to the brief and feels right for a young audience
- Emotional Impact – The work is memorable and engaging
- Inclusivity – We value thoughtful and respectful representation of cultures, identities, and experiences
The winning entry, and any highly commended entries, will be chosen by a panel of judges comprising representatives of Post Wave Publishing UK Ltd, a representative of Anxi County Historical and Cultural Research Association, and prominent illustrators and industry experts. Judging will take place shortly after the closing date. A shortlist will be notified on 1st February 2027. The shortlisted entrants will be announced on 22nd February 2027. Shortlisted entrants will be asked to answer a few questions and to provide us with a headshot for social media use. The winner and highly commended entrants will be contacted on 1st March 2027. Post Wave will contact the winner and the shortlisted entrants via email, so please ensure that your contact details are correct when you submit your entry. Please also ensure that you have added the email address for the prize: PWPrize@postwavepublishing.com to your address book/contacts to prevent any of our emails going to spam folders.
The winning entry, and any highly commended entries, will be announced on 10th March 2027. The winning works will be displayed on the Post Wave Publishing stand at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2027.
The creator of the winning entry will win a monetary prize of £3,000 (approximately $4,000 based on exchange rate at the time of money transfer), and the opportunity to have their illustrations or work considered for publication. They will also be awarded a fully funded, creative trip to the Anxi County region of China, renowned for folk culture and particularly its tea culture. The highly commended entrants will win a portfolio review with an Art Director from Post Wave Publishing UK Ltd.
Entry files should be no larger than A3 size (297mm x 420mm / 11 inches x 17 inches). Ensure any fonts used are embedded within the file. Alongside your submitted entry of a book cover and a spread, entrants may also supply up to 3 digital images in support of the work. For example, images showing close-up details of your art, or images showing your creative process.
Entries should be supplied as JPEGs or PDFs only and must not exceed 10Mb in size in total. Please use the following file-naming convention:
Lastname_Firstname_BOOKCOVER
Lastname_Firstname_SPREAD
Lastname_Firstname_IMAGE_1
Lastname_Firstname_IMAGE_2
Lastname_Firstname_IMAGE_3
- 9.30am (BST) 1st October 2026: Opening date for submissions
- 5.30pm (GMT) 4th January 2027: Closing date for submissions
- 1st February 2027: Shortlisted entrants notified
- 22nd February 2027: Shortlisted entrants announced
- 1st March 2027: Winner and highly commended entrants notified
- 10th March 2027: Winner and highly commended entrants announced
- Bologna Children’s Book Fair – winner’s work to be displayed on the Post Wave Publishing stand
Post Wave Prize for Illustration
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