Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) lecturer Kate Winter has been named as the winner of the 2024 Klaus Flugge Prize for her book The Fossil Hunter (Puffin Books).
Kate, who lives in Cambridge, graduated from ARU’s world-leading MA course in Children’s Book Illustration in 2019. She has since returned to ARU to teach on the BA (Hons) Illustration course, which she combines with her work as a professional illustrator and writer.
The six-person shortlist for the prestigious Klaus Flugge Prize also featured fellow ARU MA in Children’s Book Illustration graduates Angela Vives and Bia Melo, and Kate’s success is the first time that a non-fiction picture book has won the £5,000 top prize.
The Fossil Hunter tells the story of Mary Anning, the 19th century palaeontologist whose discoveries in the cliffs of Lyme Regis transformed scientists’ understanding of the world.
Through atmospheric watercolour illustrations, the book skilfully tells Mary’s personal story and details her discoveries and their scientific impact. Special gatefolds are a key part of the book, opening to reveal the prehistoric past, allowing readers to dip into Mary’s mind to see what she is thinking
Kate carried out much of her research for the book at the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences in Cambridge, as well as at the Natural History Museum, London. She also read Mary Anning’s letters and journals and spent time in Lyme Regis, and it was walking on the beach and drawing in the places Mary loved that helped her really get to know her subject.
Kate, whose next book as a writer/illustrator is due to be published next year, said: “Thank you to the Klaus Flugge Prize for championing creativity and children’s book illustration.
“It was such a treat to be shortlisted among this group of talented illustrators and visual storytellers. To win the prize is amazing and makes me ever more grateful to Mary Anning and her inspiring life story that is so visually rich and such a gift to an illustrator. Thank you to the Klaus Flugge Prize for this award and for recognising the hard work that went into this book.
“Making a book, like raising a child, really does take a village. I am forever grateful and in awe of my team at Penguin, who supported me and nurtured my creativity throughout the process and who are so dedicated to bringing important stories to children’s book publishing.
“I’m also grateful to my tutors on the MA in Children's Book Illustration who taught me at Cambridge School of Art and who helped me develop my illustrative voice and find stories I felt passionate about.
“I’ve worked in creative industries all my life and it’s a very hard gig. We need to support our visual artists and highlight their importance in the world. Picture books are some of the first images our children see and bring new ideas and perspectives to young people. They really can effect change. I’m forever grateful to those who recognise the value of the visual arts, support creativity and champion children’s book illustration as an art form. Thank you, Klaus Flugge, for your part in this.”
Julia Eccleshare, the Children’s Director of the Hay Festival and the Chair of the judges, said: “There is a strong history of illustrated non-fiction in children’s books, and we are excited that this year’s Klaus Flugge Prize is awarded to an information picture book.
“Non-fiction stories have been shortlisted previously, but this is the first time an information book has won. Mary Anning’s story has been told before but through the illustrations and Kate’s distinctive approach, The Fossil Hunter creates a unique sense of her character and work. Each of the illustrators on our very strong shortlist has their own style, and their ability to communicate mood, character and narrative through illustration is thrilling.
“Congratulations to them all and very special thanks again to Klaus Flugge who has done so much to support and promote illustrators throughout his long career.”
Established in 2016, the Klaus Flugge Prize honours publisher Klaus Flugge, a supremely influential figure in picture books who set up Andersen Press in 1976. Previous winners include ARU graduates Eva Eland, Flavia Z Drago, Kate Milner, Joseph Namara Hollis and Mariajo Ilustrajo, who was awarded the top prize last year.
