ARU illustrators discuss the art of the picture book
Event at Waterstones in Cambridge will celebrate Klaus Flugge Prize’s 10th birthday
Kate Winter in her studio
A group of prize-winning illustrators from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) will be sharing their expertise during a special event in Cambridge on Monday, 19 May.
The event is being held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the prestigious Klaus Flugge Prize, which is awarded annually to the most promising and exciting newcomer to children’s book illustration.
The panel will feature three recent winners of this national award – Flavia Drago, Mariajo Ilustrajo and Kate Winter – all alumni of ARU’s world-leading Children’s Book Illustration MA course in Cambridge.
Taking place at Waterstones bookshop on Sidney Street, the event is aimed at anyone interested in illustration and the art of visual storytelling. The talented trio will discuss the elements of a successful picture book and provide valuable tips for aspiring illustrators.
Flavia Drago, originally from Mexico City, won the Klaus Flugge Prize in 2021 for her book Gustavo the Shy Ghost, which also topped The New York Times’ best sellers list. Flavia is currently studying a PhD at ARU, focusing on horror in children’s picture books.
Originally from Madrid, Mariajo Ilustrajo is now based in the UK and won the award in 2023 for Flooded, which she started on the MA course at ARU. The story, which features animals teaming up to tackle the impacts of climate change, also earned her the Best New Talent prize at the World Illustration Awards.
Kate Winter received the award last year for The Fossil Hunter, marking the first time a non-fiction book has won the £5,000 prize. After completing her MA in Children’s Book Illustration, Kate now lectures on ARU’s BA (Hons) Illustration course, balancing her teaching with her work as a professional illustrator and writer.
“I feel very fortunate to be able to bring ideas and stories alive for children through the universal language of illustration. I am really looking forward to talking to Mariajo and Flavia about our different approaches to making picture books, how we develop ideas and what role the images play in our storytelling.”
Kate WinterThe event will be chaired by Dr Elys Dolan, a Senior Lecturer in Children’s Books Illustration at ARU. Elys, an award-winning author and illustrator of books such as Weasels and Steven Seagull Action Hero, also studied on the MA Children's Book Illustration course at ARU’s Cambridge School of Art.
The event on Monday, 19 May at Waterstones in Cambridge runs from 6pm-7.30pm and tickets are priced at £8. For further information and to purchase tickets, visit Celebrating the Klaus Flugge Prize with Kate Winter, Mariajo Ilustrajo and Flavia Drago | Events at Waterstones Bookshops
Meanwhile Polly Noakes, who graduated from the MA in Children’s Book Illustration at ARU in 2015, has just been announced as the winner of the 2025 Oscar’s Book Prize. Polly received the £10,000 award for her picture book Just The Two Of Us.