Silva Award 2027 Picture Book Competition

The Silva Award is an international picture book competition run by Silva Literary Agency with Tudem Publishing Group. The 2027 edition looks for an unpublished picture book for children aged 3 to 6, told in words and pictures or entirely in pictures. The winner receives €2,000, a publishing contract with Tudem and representation by Silva Literary Agency. Entry is free and the deadline is 14 June 2027.

For author-illustrators, the combination of a contract and an agent is the valuable part: it opens the door to further books and to foreign editions. Entries are judged anonymously, so a strong book from a newcomer has the same chance as one from an experienced creator.

The jury is Barroux, Rob Hodgson and Zeynep Özatalay, all picture book makers themselves.

Who Can Enter the Silva Award?

The award is open to creators aged 18 or over from any country, alone or as a team (for example an author and an illustrator). The book must be unpublished and not previously awarded, and creators must not be under contract with a publisher for it or represented by a literary agency.

It is particularly relevant to:

• Author-illustrators with a finished picture book dummy
• Illustrator and writer teams
• Illustrators working on wordless books
• Creators looking for their first publisher and agent

What Can You Enter?

One complete, unpublished picture book for ages 3–6:

• Fiction or non-fiction with text of up to 4,500 characters, or a silent book told only in pictures
• Finished artwork, in a single PDF of up to 40 pages and 10MB
• In English; if you win, you also provide the text in an official language of your country

Generative AI is not allowed for text or illustrations.

Entry Fees

Entry is free.

What Does the Winner Receive?

• €2,000 prize money
• A publishing contract with Tudem Publishing Group
• Representation by Silva Literary Agency

Submission Requirements

Send your entry to the competition email address given on the official page:

• The book as one anonymous PDF, named with a five-character nickname and the title (for example ABCDE-Title.pdf)
• A signed Identity Form and Letter of Commitment
• A short creator biography

Your real name must not appear anywhere in the PDF.

What Makes a Strong Picture Book Entry?

For children aged three to six, picture books are read aloud again and again, so rhythm, repetition and a clear emotional arc matter. The pictures should do work the words do not: show a joke the text leaves out, or a detail children can find on every page. Page turns are important; plan where the surprise falls. Keep the cast small and the setting easy to follow. A finished dummy with consistent characters, readable typography and a strong cover gives the jury a real sense of the printed book. Wordless entries should still have a clear beginning, middle and end.

Things to Consider

• Think about the age group. Books for 3–6-year-olds are read aloud; the text should sound good and the pictures should carry the story.
• Finish the art. The jury judges a complete book, not sketches.
• Keep it anonymous. Check file names, metadata and signatures in the artwork.
• Read the contract terms. The prize includes a publishing contract and agency agreement.
• Consider a silent book. Wordless entries are welcome and travel well between languages.

Enter the Competition

Interested in submitting your book?

Enter the Silva Award

For the full terms, forms and email address, visit the official Silva Literary Agency website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 16, 2026