Lucie Lučanská wins the 5th Edition of Serpa Award with her project “In the tent”

Serpa Town Council together with the publisher Planeta Tangerina organizes the fifth edition of the biennial Serpa International Picture Book Award.

The initiative aims to develop the literary and artistic quality of the picture book as a medium, and to encourage the creation of new projects in this area.

This edition received over 675 submissions from 53 countries (Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Czechia, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Ecuador, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, United States, Estonia, Philippines, Finland, France, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, England, Iran, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Taiwan, Tatarstan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam).

The jury was made up of Swiss author/illustrator Johanna Schaible, Isabel Minhós on behalf of Planeta Tangerina, and Paula Estorninho on behalf of the Serpa Town Council.

The jury sought books which stood out for their originality not only in terms of the narrative but also the illustrations, with a balance between the image and text, a strong story and an innovative capacity.

The book “In the tent” by Lucie Lučanská (Czechia), was named the winner of the 5^th edition of the Serpa International Picture Book Award.

Of the winner’s submission, the jury praised the richness of the visual elements, with a range of registers which vary according to the book’s changing needs, without ever losing their internal coherence. The delicacy and singularity of the way scenarios and natural elements were represented, as well as the originality of the colour palette, were two visual elements that the jury emphasised.

The jury also highlighted the author’s skilled narration of the story, including the creation of characters and situations, and her ability to develop a relationship of complicity with the reader through the use of humour and surprise.

Honourable mentions were made of the following works: “Todos juntos” by Maria Nogueira (Portugal), “Mecánica Ilustrada” by Marina Montero (Spain), and “Sale el sol” by Gerald Espinoza and Reyva Franco (Venezuela).

The winning book will be published in Portuguese by the publisher Planeta Tangerina and its author will receive 4000 Euros, of which 1500 Euros is an advance on royalties.

The award ceremony and launch of the book are expected to take place in May 2024 in Serpa.

Serpa Town Council and Planeta Tangerina thank everyone who participated in the competition.