
SelfMadeHero's Graphic Anthology Programme
If you are a UK-based budding comic-book artist from a Black, Asian, Arab, mixed-race, Romani/Traveller or non-white Latinx background, and you’d like to be part of a mentoring programme that culminates in your work being published by SelfMadeHero, then look no further than our Graphic Anthology Programme.
The mentors
Each mentor is highly experienced in their field, delivering mentoring, feedback and masterclasses to help participants create a graphic short story over the 12-week programme.
The core publishing team
SelfMadeHero’s production team for the Graphic Anthology Programme will include editor Ayoola Solarin, graphic designer Txabi Jones and publisher Emma Hayley. All have a high level of expertise in creating graphic novels.
Criteria
The criteria for this development opportunity are as follows:
• You are an artist from a Black, Asian, Arab, mixed-race, Romani/Traveller or non-white Latinx background.
• You have not had a full-length graphic novel published by a traditional print publisher. However, you are still eligible if you have had a short story published by a traditional print publisher or if you have self-published comics.
• You do not have a literary agent representing you for graphic novels.
• You are 18+.
• You are a UK resident.
Judges
Submissions will be assessed by the mentoring and publishing team.

Catherine Anyango Grünewald

Asia Alfasi

Woodrow Phoenix

Sonia Leong

Mustashrik Mahbub

Ayoola Solarin

Emma Hayley

Txabi Jones
How to apply
The Graphic Anthology Programme launches with an open call for submissions on Friday, 19 February 2021. You will be asked why you want to participate in the programme, what interests you about it and how you think you’ll benefit. You will also be asked to tell us a bit about your background – your previous experience in comics, whether you have ever self-published anything, any relevant courses or university degrees (not essential) and why you think you’re a suitable candidate for this programme. We won’t expect an essay here, just a few sentences. Finally, and most importantly, you will be asked to submit some examples of your work: between 4 (minimum) and 10 (maximum) pages of sequential comics art.
Deadline for submissions is 26 March 2021.
You can apply in various ways. Please choose ONE of the following:

Please note that you will need a Submittable account to make your application and submit your artwork. Sign-up is free.
Key dates
Call for participants: 19 February to 26 March 2021.
Successful applicants will be notified the week commencing 19 April 2021.
Mentoring programme: 18 May to 11 August 2021 (3 hours a week + 8 masterclasses).
Launch of graphic anthology: 15 October 2021.
The mentoring programme is provided free of charge to participants. This was only made possible thanks to public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and additional support from SelfMadeHero, Abrams & Chronicle Books, Oiffy and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. The programme is run in partnership with Spread the Word.
Read more
Spread the Word is a charity and a National Portfolio client of Arts Council England. It is funded to help London’s writers make their mark on the page, on the screen and in the world, and to build strategic partnerships to foster a literature ecology that reflects the cultural diversity of contemporary Britain. Spread the Word has a national and international reputation for initiating change-making research and developing programmes for writers that have equity and social justice at their heart. In 2020, it launched Rethinking ‘Diversity’ in Publishing by Dr Anamik Saha and Dr Sandra van Lente, Goldsmiths, University of London, in partnership with The Bookseller and Words of Colour. Spread the Word’s programmes include: the Young People’s Laureate for London, the London Writers Awards and the national Life Writing Prize. www.spreadtheword.org.uk
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. They have set out their strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 they want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish, and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. They invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk
Abrams & Chronicle Books distribute a wide range of award-winning books, gift products and stationery. Based in London, Abrams & Chronicle Books is the European arm of two acclaimed US publishing houses, ABRAMS, based in New York, and Chronicle Books, based in San Francisco. Their illustrious lists include best-selling and globally renowned authors, illustrators, designers, artists, chefs and photographers. www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk
Oiffy is a production company established in 2011 by directors/writers Jörg Tittel and Alex Helfrecht and producer Philip Munger. They make films, TV, theatre, games and comic books. Alex is currently directing the painted animated feature A Winter’s Journey, which she adapted from Franz Schubert’s masterpiece. The film will star John Malkovich and Martina Gedeck. Jörg is writing and directing a game for VR and next-gen consoles with art by Mick McMahon. An animated feature based on his graphic novel Ricky Rouse Has a Gun is also in the works. www.oiffy.com
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, often referred to as LICAF, is an annual comics art festival held in Kendal, a market town on the edge of the English Lake District in the UK. Established in 2013, the not-for-profit festival takes place over a weekend in October each year, as the culmination of a year-round programme of education, commissioning and international work. www.comicartfestival.com




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