SCBWI Announces Writers and Illustrators to Be Featured in Undiscovered Voices 2016.
Anthology has proven a successful path to publication for many writers and illustrators
Twelve promising writers and nine aspiring illustrators – all unagented and unpublished – were selected from hundreds of submissions to be included in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) anthology, titled Undiscovered Voices 2016. The anthology is available to download for free at www.undiscoveredvoices.com.
“We are thrilled to once again showcase so many new voices from amongst SCBWI British Isles and Europe,” said Natascha Biebow, Regional Advisor (Chair) of the SCBWI in the British Isles. “We are confident that they won’t stay undiscovered for very long!”
The anthology features twelve 4,000-word extracts of novels written for children alongside nine black and white illustrations. SCBWI congratulates the following authors and illustrators whose work will be included in the 2016 anthology:
| Relly Annett-Baker | The Unwilling Goddess | London |
| Georgia Bowers | Clopwyck River | Bedford |
| Anna Bowles | Steel Tanya | London |
| Susan Brownrigg | Girl Churns Up Trouble | Skelmersdale |
| Patti Buff | Requiem | Germany |
| Sophie Cameron | Out of the Blue | Edinburgh |
| Kerry Cassidy | Secret Magic: The Thread Fairy Adventures | Malvern |
| Rose Margaret Deniz | The Evolution of You and Me | Turkey |
| Emma Dowson | The Chinatown Cat | New Malden |
| Lucy Farfort | Illustrator | Newcastle |
| Esther Garcia Peces | Illustrator | Spain |
| Simon James Green | Nuts | London |
| Mary Hays | Illustrator | Cambridge |
| Andrea Ipaktchi | Illustrator | France |
| Catherine Miller | The Hunt Is On | London |
| John Morgan | Illustrator | Winchester |
| Heather Newton | Spyders: Flash & the Cagey Bees | London |
| Deborah Partington | Illustrator | Runcorn |
| Portia Rosenberg | Illustrator | Cambridge |
| Bing Wang | Illustrator | Netherlands |
| Katie Weymouth | Illustrator | Liverpool |
From the four previous anthologies, published in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, 32 of the selected authors and illustrators have received publishing contracts for more than 120 books. These authors have been nominated for and won an amazing array of literary prizes: including the Blue Peter Awards, the Carnegie Medal, the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize, the Branford Boase Award and regional awards such as the Bedfordshire Children’s Book of the Year.
“The success of the first four anthologies is a testament to the high calibre of author and illustrator members in SCBWI,” Biebow said. “It’s really exciting to have works featured in previous anthologies snap up publishing deals and win major prizes. We hope that both the writers and illustrators in Undiscovered Voices 2016 will have similar success.”
The Undiscovered Voices anthology will be distributed to editors, literary agents, art directors and illustration agents focusing on children’s literature. The anthology includes an introduction from the honorary chair, award-winning children’s author and illustrator Sally Gardner.
“This anthology shines a spotlight on writers and illustrators with the potential to create books that will excite young readers everywhere,” said Tioka Tokedira, UV coordinator for SCBWI in the EU.
The stories and illustrations were submitted anonymously and selected by a distinguished panel of industry experts:
- Jon Appleton, Hodder
- Ali Ardington, Stripes Publishing
- Ed Burns, Advocate Art Agency
- Barry Cunningham, Chicken House
- Sheri Gee, Folio Society
- Jodie Hodges, United Agents
- Rachel Mann, Simon and Schuster
- Polly Nolan, The Greenhouse Literary Agency
- Anna Power, Johnson & Alcock
- Kate Shaw, The Viney Agency
- Will Steele, Faber and Faber
- Caroline Walsh, David Higham Associates
Because the anthology is also designed to be a learning tool for up-and-coming children’s writers and artists, quotes from the judges – discussing the merits of each piece – are included at the end of each illustration and extract.
Working Partners Ltd, a London-based company that creates series fiction for children and teens, provided the financial support to make this and the previous four anthologies possible.
“Working Partners is delighted to sponsor this wonderful project which helps writers and illustrators seeking to grow,” said Chris Snowdon, Managing Director, Working Partners Ltd.
About SCBWI
The SCBWI is a network for the exchange of knowledge among writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others involved with literature for young people. SCBWI boasts more than 22,000 members worldwide in more than seventy regions, making it the largest children’s writing organization in the world. Through our events and resources, the SCBWI British Isles region aims to help writers and illustrators develop their craft. Find out more about SCBWI at www.britishisles.scbwi.org. To find out more about Undiscovered Voices visit: www.undiscoveredvoices.com.