Work and persist. These are the two main verbs that help get gifts out of the bottom of drawers and make dreams come true. Above all, what matters is never giving up. Because hope only becomes real if it is fed daily with actions. Participating in the Pingo Doce Children’s Literature Prize, which is now in its 9th edition, is precisely one of the actions you can take, especially if your life dream is to draw. And no, you don’t need to be a professional in the area to compete. Anyone interested can participate in the illustration phase of this contest, which is currently underway and will run until July 1.
Comics: Joana Figueiroa
Who knows, from personal experience, that Daniela Leitão, the winner of the text phase of this edition, with O Avô Minguante, can only come by insisting. Although she had already competed last year, only now, with a story that precisely “waited a long time waiting to exist”, she distinguished herself. Remember that this prize is divided into two distinct but interdependent phases: first the text phase and, shortly after, the illustration phase, in which the participants are invited to illustrate the winning story.
Accustomed, from an early age, to contacting books and listening to stories told every night, Daniela Leitão acknowledges that “the process of moving from reading to writing was very organic and natural”, that is, as soon as she learned to read, they quickly began to want to write their own stories and still keep records of those times today. And although she always supported her in the discovery of her talent, as an adult she ended up keeping the pleasure of writing for herself. Fortunately, she didn’t for long: “Recently, I was lucky enough to meet a person who discovered and motivated this desire a lot and who led me to enter this year’s contest. Writing O Avô Waning was the definitive and absolute sharing of this secret desire”.
resilience and curiosity
Who was also persistent along the way and won the Pingo Doce Children’s Literature Award on the second attempt was Ana Granado, winner of the 5th edition with the illustrations for O Narciso com Pelos no Nariz, text written by Andreia Penso Pereira. She graduated in Painting, she was in the middle of her career when she discovered illustration and “from that moment she knew that this was what she wanted to do”. From her perspective, to succeed in the world of illustration -and even to win contests like this one- “you have to be resilient, disciplined and curious”, but also know how to take advantage of the opportunities that technology offers today. “Today with social networks it is much easier for us to publicize our work and we must take advantage of that. We can more easily reach our audience, simply by showing our work, which is a great advantage for someone who is just starting out”, she emphasizes.
Advice for those who want to compete for the Prize
Anyone who wishes can participate in the Pingo Doce Children’s Literature Prize, without the need to have any prior experience or knowledge in the areas in which they compete, be it text or illustration. Even so, when asked about the first advice she gives to those who say they want to illustrate children’s books, Marta Madureira, illustrator, teacher and member of the jury for the illustration phase of this edition of the Prize, replies that “it is essential to invest in training ”. However, he highlights that people “do not necessarily have to go to university, since there is a very wide offer within this field of illustration and within children’s illustration in particular”, referring to the numerous ateliers and workshops that they are organizing. .
Another crucial aspect to improve for aspiring illustrators is, in his words, the increase in visual culture. “It is important to see the work of others, to understand why what others do works, to analyze critically,” says the current head of the Master’s Degree in Illustration and Animation at the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado e do Ave. At the same time, he highlights that it is important to “know what our peers are doing”: “For example, someone who is going to compete for the Pingo Doce Children’s Literature Prize and has not yet seen the books they previously won is a great failure”. .” And this is relevant “not only to inspire me, but also not to repeat myself,” he warns.
A very important award
Both Marta Madureira and Ana Granado are unanimous in highlighting the importance of the Pingo Doce Children’s Literature Prize. In the case of the latter, the relevance was felt very closely: “Winning the Prize was very important for me because it opened some doors for me and allowed me to enter the children’s illustration market. It also allowed me to do a postgraduate course, where I learned a lot from very good professors, made friends and classmates with whom I learned a lot and with whom I still exchange ideas. This Award is a lever for anyone who wants to be a professional illustrator.”
The same advantages are highlighted by Marta Madureira, who praises the dynamics of the Prize: “Many times the contests we see ask for only one or two illustrations, but here we have to think about the whole book, that is, it has to have continuity, graphic coherence, and That is a very interesting exercise.” In addition to the technical part, the monetary component also stands out. “You have to understand that an illustrator is a professional like any other, you have to value him for that, and that monetary value is excellent for someone who is just starting out, because it will allow him to buy material and also have time for reflection. to keep producing,” she says. In addition, “it allows the edition for the first time, which means that it will be a way to make the work known in a much more interesting way, and it will be valued by a jury.” It is recalled that, in addition to Marta Madureira, the jury for this year’s edition of the illustration phase are the illustrators André Carrilho and Bernardo Carvalho, the professor and illustrator Eduardo Côrte-Real, and Sara Miranda, communication director of the Jerónimo Group Martins.
The presentation of illustrations to the contest extends until July 1 and those who wish to participate only have to request the winning story through the official website of the Prize. Good luck!
Learn more at
Children’s Literary Award
Source: Observadora
