The Bookseller.com

4th July 2009

« Headlines

Cape opens graphic prize

10.07.07

Jonathan Cape is launching a graphic short story prize in association with the Observer and the Comica festival at the ICA. The £1,000 prize aims to celebrate the art of the graphic novel and "offer a platform for the graphic novelists of the future to emerge."

The winning graphic short story will be printed in the Observer and displayed at The ICA in October. Dan Franklin, Cape publisher, said: "At Cape we already publish many of the best known authors in the graphic field--Chris Ware, Joe Sacco, Marjane Satrapi, Posy Simmonds, Raymond Briggs, Dan Clowes. With this competition we are hoping to discover new authors who can combine words and pictures with the same brilliance."

Robert McCrum, literary editor of The Observer, said: "This is just the kind of innovative work I used to love as a publisher. The Observer is delighted to be sponsoring a new departure in the 21st century imagination. Already, the response is phenomenal."

The judging panel is Franklin, author Nick Hornby, illustrator Posy Simmonds, journalist Rachel Cooke, Comica festival director Paul Gravett, and Random House creative director Suzanne Dean. The winner will be announced on 14th October.

Random House Jonathan Cape