The Folio Book Illustration Award 2026

Illustration sits at the very heart of Folio. They’re lucky to work with artists from all over the world, and they’re always excited to discover new voices – whether that’s through paint, print, pencil or pixels.

The Folio Book Illustration Award returns for 2026, inviting aspiring and established illustrators to respond to the opening chapter of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Quiet, unsettling and deeply human, those first pages offer rich ground for interpretation.

The judges this year are Folio Head of Editorial James Rose and Folio Fiction Editor Sophia Schoepfer, joined by FBIA 2025 winner Dawn Xintong Yang and Artists’ Agent Alison Eldred.

The winner will receive a £2,000 cash prize, £500 in Folio vouchers, and the opportunity for their work to be featured in a future Folio book. Five runners-up will each receive £500 in Folio vouchers.

Submissions are free to make and are open to all illustrators over the age of 18.

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Enquiries about submissions should be directed to the Folio Society. Please always refer to their website for complete details and information. 

Please note, this call is run by the Folio Society, not the Commonwealth Foundation.