Liber launches professional illustration competition for its 2022 graphic image

Liber, the International Book Fair promoted by the Federation of Spanish Publishers’ Guilds (FGEE), is relaunching its illustration competition to select the graphic image for its next edition, scheduled for 5-7 October 2022 at Fira de Barcelona. As a requirement, participants must be members of one of the entities that make up the Federation of Associations of Professional Illustrators (FADIP) and submit a work that highlights the value of books and the promotion of reading.

This is the second time that Liber has held an illustration competition to find the image of the fair and, after the good reception shown in 2021, the aim is to continue with it on an annual basis. The aim of this initiative is to recognise talent in the field of illustration and to give visibility to the important link between this discipline and books and the publishing world. Last year the Valencian illustrator Irene Blasco was the winner of the competition with a design showing a reader in total connection with the universe created by reading.

The Liber competition, with a prize of 2,200 euros for the winning entry, is open to illustrators resident in Spain who are members of the professional associations of Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country, Valencia or Madrid, who may submit their candidacy before 25 February, sending a dossier defining their style with several examples of their work.

An evaluation committee made up of representatives from the Federation of Associations of Professional Illustrators (FADIP) and its member organisations in Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country, Valencia and Madrid, as well as the Federation of Spanish Publishers’ Guilds (FGEE) and Fira de Barcelona will choose three finalists, who will receive 600 euros for participating in the next phase, and whose names will be made public on 15 March.

From then on, these three creators will have until 1 April to prepare an unpublished, attractive and contemporary design that will be the image of Liber 2022, highlighting the value of books and reading and which can be used in both printed and digital formats.

The competition jury, made up of representatives from the FGEE, the Ministry of Culture’s Sub-Directorate for Book Promotion, the Liber 2022 Organising Committee and Fira de Barcelona, will analyse the three finalist proposals and select the winning image, which will receive an additional 1,600 euros. The final communication of the winning illustration and its authorship will be announced on 9 April. The design will be used in all the communication and advertising supports of the Liber fair in its 2022 edition.

In 2022, Liber, International Book Fair, returns to Barcelona to celebrate its 40th edition from 5 to 7 October at the Gran Via exhibition centre, consolidated as the main professional event in Europe dedicated to Spanish-language books and with the expectation of bringing together more than 350 publishers and companies from more than a dozen countries. Liber brings together all the sectors linked to the world of books and offers commercial opportunities, business meetings and professional contacts to boost both the national and international markets.

Barcelona, 14 February 2022