Posted in: Comics | Tagged: harrogate, thought bubble

Six Shortlisted Authors For First Graphic Novel Awards

Six Shortlisted Authors For First Graphic Novel Awards Announced At Thought Bubble In Harrogate

Published Sat, 15 Nov 2025 11:00:03 -0600

Article Summary

Six finalists announced for the First Graphic Novel Award at Thought Bubble in Harrogate
Shortlisted works span fiction, memoir, and non-fiction from emerging UK comic creators
Award open to unagented UK residents with no prior longform graphic novel publication
Winner receives a publishing contract with SelfMadeHero and a £500 cash prize in 2026

Today at Thought Bubble in Harrogate, six shortlisted authors were listed for the First Graphic Novel Award which includes fiction, non-fiction and memoir, following on from the long list announced at The Lakes.

Lois de Silva, FALLING IN LOVE ON THE FAMILY COMPUTER
Calico N.M., KITTISH BANTER
Lizz Lunney, FORGET-ME-NOT
Lauren O'Farrell, THE FROZENS
Yu-Ching Chiu, A SLEIGH NO-ONE KNOWS
Hannah McCann, ST BRIGID & ME

The award is open to unagented comic creators who are UK residents and have not had a longform graphic novel commercially published before. The age of the 220 entrants ranged from 18 to 95.

Judges included Emma Hayley of SelfMadeHero, who will offer the winning author a contract for publication. Longlisted authors will receive feedback from the judges and have their work reviewed by Waterstones book buyer Nessa Urquhart and James Spackman of The bks Agency, sponsors of an additional £500 cash prize for the winner. The award will be announced on Monday, the 19 January 2026 at Waterstones Piccadilly.

Hayley said: 'We're delighted to have the support of Arts Council England for this award championing debut graphic novelists. It is essential to encourage the ever-increasing pool of emerging UK comic creators to show off their talents to a broader audience.' SelfMadeHero has just published the queer thriller Bone Broth by the previous winner, Alex Taylor.

The four other judges are graphic novelists Shazleen Khan, Oscar Zarate, and Karrie Fransman, and contemporary artist Janette Parris.

James Urquhart, Interim Director, Literature & Senior Manager, Libraries, Arts Council England, said: 'We are proud to support the First Graphic Novel Award through National Lottery funding. This champions the vibrant and growing comics sector in the UK, and provides a vital platform for emerging artists to tell bold, personal, and imaginative stories. The shortlisted works reflect the quality, diversity and creative potential of the medium, and we're delighted to help bring these voices to wider audiences.'

The First Graphic Novel Award is a partnership with the Cartoon Museum, and SelfMadeHero, and is generously supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

FALLING IN LOVE ON THE FAMILY COMPUTER – Lois de Silva 2008: on the adolescent internet, two likewise teenaged girls find each other from half the world away. But in this time when the digital and the physical are still kept at a distance, what does it mean to fall in love through a screen?
KITTISH BANTER – Calico N.M. When Irsim finally gets away from their conservative Muslim parents, they're hardly expecting to end up in Leeds' gayest Muslim house-share. Soon enough, thanks to new friends and the landlord's excitable daughter, they're considering their relationship to religion altogether.
FORGET-ME-NOT – Lizz Lunney Loss and memory. Growing up often comes with both. This collection of autobiographical comic essays looks back on 25 years' worth of grief, compassion, and moments of humour to create a guide for the bereaved.
THE FROZENS – Lauren O'Farrell Unaware that she's only days away from a cancer diagnosis, Lauren saves a boy she sees lying on the railway tracks. Soon she meets her own Death, and they both embark on a wild journey towards loving life.
A SLEIGH NO-ONE KNOWS – Yu-Ching Chiu A story about the meaning of life involving a depressed rabbit, a sheep experiencing an existential crisis, and an utterly ludicrous military project. Philosophical concepts in the strangest of contexts, but somehow true to all…
ST BRIGID & ME – Hannah McCann Brigid: saint and goddess. In this memoir, the fight for abortion rights in her homeland of Ireland inspires the author to reconnect with Saint Brigid, and to connect the dots between traditional folklore and modern social justice