Alumni success
Many of our students not only find work that directly relates to their studies, but continue to set the high standards in their professional life that they showed during the course.
Here are some of our most notable recent success stories:
2024 Klaus Flugge Prize
MA Children's Book Illustration alumnus Kate Winter (pictured) – now a lecturer at ARU – won the £5000 top prize for her book Fossil Hunter. Fellow graduates Angela Vives and Bia Melo also made the 6-person shortlist. Read our Spotlight interview with Kate on our Creative Showcase site.
Royal Television Awards East Student Awards 2025
Two graduates from our BA (Hons) Animation & Illustration degree have been nominated for the Royal Television Awards East Student Awards 2025. Megan Cork’s film Are You Home? was shortlisted for three categories: Animation, Production Design, and Sound, while Rodrigo Lopes was nominated for the Sound category for his film Too Much. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in March.
Stuart Trevor internship
BA (Hons) Fashion Design graduate Amy Kiernan landed an internship with AllSaints founder Stuart Trevor, working on his new sustainable and vintage-focused brand and gaining valuable industry experience. On Amy's instagram she posted: "Stuart’s generosity, kindness, and passion are truly inspiring, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn from him as he launches his exciting new brand. Thank you, Stuart, for believing in me and giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can’t wait to continue this journey and share more along the way!". You can see Amy's Major Project work on our Graduate Showcase.
Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2024
2023 MA Printmaking alumnus Sara Clark was shortlisted for this prestigious fine art prize. Her work (pictured) was displayed in the October London exhibition, which goes on to tour the UK until October 2025.
V&A Illustration Awards 2024
Recent MA Children’s Book Illustration graduate Aditi Anand was named Emerging Illustrator of 2024 for her book Marigolds in these prestigious annual awards. Fellow graduates Ella Beech, Bethan Welby, Lisa Sheehan and Olivia Daw were also shortlisted.
Buckingham Palace Residency
2017 BA (Hons) Illustration graduate Joshua Pell has been chosen as one of three artists-in-residence at The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace for the exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance from November 2024 to March 2025. You can drop in to see Joshua work on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and follow him on instagram.
London Irish Centre exhibition
MA Fine Art Alumnus Niall MacCrann has a solo exhibition of recent paintings and etchings at the London Irish Centre from 18 October to the 3 November 2024. Niall is displaying 30 ambitious paintings and etchings which evoke magical fragments of everyday life, building on extensive observational drawing in bars, on trains, and at funfairs and swimming spots in his native Dublin, as well as at the London Irish Centre. (pictured work: At The Midsummer Fair).
Batsford Prize 2024
Three of our MA Children's Book Illustration alumni (Rose Grover, Yue An Xie, Aditi Anand) were runners-up in the Batsford Prize 2024, with Fatima Ordinola Guerra, Katie May and Keiko also making the shortlist. The Illustration and Children's Book Illustration categories were won by two of our current students.
Forest Xiao, MA Children's Book Illustration alumnus, has signed a deal with Hachette Children's Group to publish three picturebooks, starting with the Batsford Prize-winning How To Catch An Idea in 2025, with two further titles following in 2026 and 2027.
MA Children's Book Illustration graduate Zack Rock won the Folio Book Illustration Award 2024. An American illustrator based in Berlin, Zack's work was described by Folio Publishing Director Tom Walker as "...such a visceral and skilful illustration... beautiful and haunting."
Ten alumni from our MA Children's Book Illlustration made the shortlist for the AOI World Illustration Awards 2024 - Sandy Horseley (Exploration category); Kate Rolfe, Pin-Hsuan Chen, Anuska Allepus, Joanne Young, Colleen Larmour, Petronela Dostalova, Rachel Wolf, Emma Chinnery (Children's publishing category); and Anne Roos Kleiss (Publishing category).
Three of the eight shortlisted entries for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlist were graduates from our MA Children's Book Illustration course: Catalina Echeverri (April's Garden), Mariajo Illustrajo (Lost) and Chloe Savage (The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish).
MA Children's Book Illustration graduate Chloe Savage also won the Best Illustrated Book category in the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2024 for The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish (pictured). The judges described the book as "A truly gorgeous volume filled with the wonder and magic of science and nature."
BA (Hons) Fashion Design alumnus Cosmin Diaconu (pictured) established his own fashion brand Retrogusto to “redefine perceptions of preloved clothing, promoting responsible and sustainable purchases”. He also worked on the costumes for Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour, along with fellow graduates Bruno Coelho and Roberto Duarte.
BA Illustration alumnus Catherine Rowe won the Contribution to Culture Award at the ARU Alumni Awards 2024. Her designs are sold internationally to some of the biggest names in retail, and she is dedicated to supporting up-and-coming artists, including leading courses online and through Pallant House Gallery’s Care for Art programme.
BA (Hons) Illustration graduate Olivia Daw has made the shortlist of the V&A Illustration Awards 2024 in the Adult Fiction category for her illustrations in The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie (Folio Society, 2023 - illustration pictured). The winner will be announced in September.
MA Children’s Book Illustration graduates Birgitta Sif (illustration pictured), Puck Koper and Thea Lu were all winners at the Bologna Book Fair 2024, with their work being chosen for the Illustrators Exhibition, which travels for over two years on an international tour of museums, art galleries and libraries in countries including Japan, Korea, and China, as well as appearing in the renowned Illustrators Annual.
MA Children’s Book Illustration graduate Mariajo Illustrajo won the 2023 Klaus Flugge Prize for her book Flooded (pictured), developed while she was on the course. Three of her fellow alumni from the course also made the shortlist: Alice Courtley (Lost in the City), Gill Smith (Saving the Butterfly), and Paula White (The Baker by the Sea).
MA Children's Book Illustration graduate Sandy Horsley was selected from 3,000 submissions to show at the prestigious Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023 exhibition, along with student Heike Scharrer.
MA Fine Art graduate Niall MacCrann won the East London Printmakers prize at the International Original Print Exhibition 2023, earning a year's associate membership and 10 free sessions at the East London Printmakers workshop. Niall and fellow graduate Sarah Clark were also selected to show their work at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2023.
MA Children’s Book Illustration graduates Thea Lu, Roozeboos (Anne Roos Kleiss), and Narisa Togo and current student Hu Huizi were selected as 4 of 100 finalists in the Golden Pinwheel Competition 2023, and now go on to show their work at China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair 2023.
Chia Hsieh won the Walker Books Picture This! Competition 2023, along with students Aditi Anand and Charlotte Durance.
In 2023, BA (Hons) Fine Art graduate Ian Wolter began a residency at the National Army Museum, London, to work on a portrait bust of a serving Grenadier Guardsman (pictured). Ian was previously commissioned by Save the Children to create a bust of their founder Eglantyne Jebb, unveiled at the Royal Albert Hall in London to mark the organisation's centenary celebrations, and also had his public sculpture ‘The Children of Calais’ unveiled in Salfron Walden, Essex by Lord Alf Dubs. This artwork was later selected for the 2019 Florence Biennial. Ian's other successes have included a commission to create a memorial statue for the Kindertransport Memorial at The Quay, Harwich. He was also awarded the RomArt 2017 Sculpture and Installation Prize for his work 'The Ectoplasm of Self-Delusion', having won the Venice Arte Laguna video art and performance prize the previous year.
MA Children’s Book Illustration alumnus and lecturer Dr Elys Dolan was awarded this year’s Alligator’s Mouth prize by the London bookshop of the same name for her new book Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise (Walker Books). The award aims to champion and celebrate highly illustrated fiction for children aged 6-8-years-old.
MA Children's Book Illustration alumni Julia Woolf, Lisa Sheenan, Dorothy Luo, Kate Rolfe, Paula Heister and Joy Li all made the shortlist of the 2023 AOI World Illustration Awards along with three current students. Another eleven Cambridge School of Art graduates and students made the longlist.
Hana Tintor (MA Illustration & Book Arts, 2018) and Zsuzsa Goodyer (BA Illustration 2010 / MA Illustration & Book Arts 2021) make the longlist of the World Illustration Awards 2023.
2021 MA Illustration & Book Arts graduate John Chamberlain was shortlisted for the 7th FIDA Fashion Illustration Awards, the first global online award to promote fashion illustration and drawing around the world.
MA Children's Book Illustration alumnus Sophie Burrows was nominated in the Best Graphic Album category of the US-based Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2023 for her book Crushing.
BA Illustration graduate Aleesha Nandhra was commissioned by Ladybird to produce bespoke illustrations for a new edition of their book Climate Change (pictured), co-written by HM King Charles in his former role as The Prince of Wales. Released in March 2023, the book explores the global causes and effects of climate change on human life and the natural world, while also highlighting the actions individuals can take to make a difference. London-based illustrator and printmaker Aleesha has previously completed commissions for high-profile clients including Google, Harper Collins and Bloomsbury.
MA Children's Book Illustration graduate Flora Delargy was shortlisted for the 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration for her book Rescuing Titanic. The longlist for the award also included Mariajo Illustrajo, Ruchi Mhasane, Roozeboos, Gill Smith and Paula White - all graduates of the course.
MA Children's Book Illustration graduate Aining Wen (pictured) was awarded ARU's Alumni Rising Star Award 2023. Aining has published 16 picture books, recognised with numerous awards, and worked as a children's book editor with Daylight Publishing House in China. Read our Spotlight interview with Aining.
Emilie Gill and Lauren Emmons, also MA Children's Book Illustration graduates, provided the illustrations for two books published by Peachtree in 2023 - All By Myself and Prak Fills The House respectively. Peachtree Editor Jonah Heller sent us a wonderful quote, showing how well their work was received.
2022 MA Fine Art graduate Sarah Strachan was selected for the 2023 Aesthetica Art Prize, showing alongside greats including Larry Achiampong and Hope Strickland.
2021 Illustration graduate Olivia Daw's first book was published by the Folio Society in 2023 (pictured). The first ever illustrated edition of Agatha Christie classic The Pale Horse, the book includes seven of Olivia's illustrations.
In 2021, recent BA (Hons) Illustration and Animation graduate Hannah Lane’s short animated film "A Snowy Surprise" (pictured) was shortlisted for the @cinemagic_filmfestival Young Filmmaker Award, as well as being selected for @ourculturemag and the @bitesizefilmfestival; Steven Goodison's short film "Wee Shadows" was selected for screening at @frightfestuk and various other festivals; and Velina Garabedyan's film "Wherever I Wander" was selected for screening at 5 festivals.
Bethan Stevens (MA Children’s Book Illustration) won the Illustrated Books category at the prestigious Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2021 for her debut book The Grumpy Fairies. The six-person shortlist also included Eva Eland, another graduate of the course.
MA Children’s Book Illustration graduate Kate Milner made the shortlist for the 2021 Kate Greenaway Medal for her book It’s A No-Money Day, having previously won both the Klaus Flugge Prize and the V&A Illustration Awards. Both Kate and her fellow alumnus Kate Read also made the shortlist for the UK Literary Association Book Awards 2021.
Eva Eland (MA Children’s Book Illustration) won the Klaus Flugge Prize for most exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration for her book When Sadness Comes to Call. Fellow alumni Kate Read and Puck Koper also made the shortlist.
MA Printmaking alumni Ayeshah Zolghadr (pictured) won the Trinity Wharf Buoy 2020 Student Prize for her work Circling the Square I, which represented the therapeutic walks taken by her father. Both Ayeshah and MA Fine Art graduate Joe Dean were selected from among more than 4,000 submissions to display their work at the exhibition.
In July 2020, MA Children’s Book Illustration alumnus Alice Courtley took first prize in Picturehooks' 'From Seed to Table' competition with her illustration 'The City Garden'. She received a prize of £1,000 and will have her illustration displayed online, though Picturehooks are also hoping to eventually exhibit the winning entries in a physical space as well.
MA Children’s Book Illustration alumnus Elena Arevalo Melville was the inaugural winner of the Queen’s Knickers Award 2020 for her book Umbrella. The prize was awarded to an outstanding children’s original illustrated book for ages 0-7, and was funded by Nicholas Allan, with a first prize of £5,000.