The Folio Book of Ghost Stories wins top prize at the V&A Illustration Awards

The V&A has selected its best illustrations of the year for its annual Illustration Awards. David McConochie was the overall winner and was given the inaugural Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year prize and Book Cover Illustration Award for The Folio Book of Ghost Stories for The Folio Society.

David’s eerie illustrations of shrouded figures were inspired by 19th Century daguerrotypes, and chosen by the judges for the boldness of the composition and “way in which it sets the tone for the unnerving stories within the book.”

Jason Brooks won the Book Illustration Award for London Sketchbook for Laurence King; and Bill Bragg won the Editorial Illustration Award for But today I am afraid for The Guardian.

Student Illustrator of the Year was chosen as Kate Milner from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge School of Art, for her work My name is not ‘refugee’ while the runner-up was Joan Alturo from Arts University Bournemouth for Morts et Vita.

The winner of each category for published illustration won £3,000, and for the first time the overall winner received an additional £5,000. The student winner and runner-up received £3,000 and £2,000 respectively. The 14-strong shortlist was drawn from 1,000 submissions. The winning artworks will be displayed outside the V&A’s National Art Library from 24 May—21 August 2016.