"Everything great that ever happened in this world happened first in somebody's imagination."
– Astrid Lindgren
Open call for the Helsinki Book Fair 2022 illustrators' exhibition
Application period: 5–30 June 2022
Next fall, children's picture books will be featured at the Helsinki Book Fair. Etana Editions and Capuchina Kustannus, both specializing in children's books, will set up a fairytale-like stand. It will be accompanied by an exhibition of illustrations and a program related to illustrations on the four days of the fair. The exhibition, which changes daily, brings together Illustrations and picture books, and the works of five illustrators are on display at a time. Illustrators are also given the opportunity to present their work on stage.
We organize an open call for members of Kuvittajat ry and other professionals. Illustrators whose picture books aimed at children have been published by a Finnish publisher in 2020–2022 can apply for the exhibition. Illustrators can also present their picture books.
A set of works consisting of five illustrations are be proposed for the exhibition. These works can have been completed within the last ten years. The works can be originals and/or prints, and they will be hung in frames. The frames can be of different sizes, the maximum size of one frame being 50 x 70cm. The framing of the works is the responsibility of the illustrator her-/himself.
By applying in the open call, the illustrator commits to performing on the stand's stage (30 min). We also hope the illustrator to be present at the stand for about half an hour in addition to the stage performance. A compensation of 80 euros is paid for visiting the stand and performing. The illustrator's works will be displayed in the exhibition for the duration of the performance day, when it is also possible to sell the works. The illustrator gets the entire profit from the sales of the work. The illustrator can also bring printed products such as books, cards and posters to the stand for sale during the entire fair, and a sales commission will be charged for illustrations other than those for the exhibition. The sales will be settled during November 2022, and it will be managed by Etana Editions together with Capuchina Kustannus.
The selection jury of the exhibition includes the publishers Alíse Nigale (Liels un Mazs, Latvia) and Svein Størksen (Magicon, Norway), Ella Brigatti (Capuchina Kustannus) and Réka Király (Etana Editions/Kuvittajat ry) .
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTICIPATION:
Send the attached application materials by 30.6. by 11:59 p.m. to the address kuvittajienmyyntinayttely22@gmail.com
- Free-form program proposal on the topic (pdf file, max. 1000 characters)
- Proposal for a set of five works for a sales exhibition (pdf file, max 5Mt)
- A concise CV and/or list of publications showing the picture books you have illustrated (pdf file)
- Possible links to websites or social media profiles
Attach your name and contact information to each file.
Applicants will be notified of the selection no later than August 15.
The illustrator is responsible for framing the works, transporting the works to the Helsinki exhibition center to the stand exhibition. The return of the works can be agreed separately, if the illustrator leaves his/her works for sale during the entire book fair.
Possible additional questions: kuvittajienmyintynayttely22@gmail.com
In cooperation with: Kuvittajat ry
Etana Editions
Etana Editions is a publishing house specializing in children's picture books. It was awarded the 2020 State Prize for Children's Culture for its innovative work in the field.
Capuchina Kustannus
Capuchina Kustannus is an artist-led publishing house that publishes picture books and children's novels.
Liels un Mazs (Latvia)
Since 2004, the publishing house Liels un Mazs has strived to develop and enrich the Latvian children's book industry with high-quality books. The publisher regularly presents Latvian readers with translations of excellent children's literature from around the world. Liels un Mazs was chosen as the best children's book publisher in Europe in 2022.
Magikon (Norway)
Magikon publishes picture books, art books and other books related to visual storytelling for both children and adults. Magikon's books combine the joy of reading with high-quality visual experiences. Magikon was founded in 2007 and is owned by Kristin Roskifte and Svein Størksen.