Two famous comic book illustrators from the UK have come to Vietnam to offer free children's book illustration classes to young Vietnamese artists.

They are Jan Fearnley, illustrator of 26 best-selling children's books, and Jane Buckley, art director of Simon & Schuster Publishing House (one of the world's five largest publishing houses), a multiple award-winner in children's publishing.

The free children's book illustration course is organized by Nha Nam Culture and Media Joint Stock Company in cooperation with Simon & Schuster Publishing House and Pop Up Projects (a children's literature development organization in the UK), which just opened the course in Hanoi on September 6.

Donna McGowan, Director of the British Council in Vietnam, opens the course. Photo: VietNamNet

The course is designed specifically for students of illustration and professional illustrators who want to learn how to create great picture books for young readers.

The 15 artists attending the course are the best artists selected among many registration documents sent to Nha Nam Company.

The lessons will be based on "The Return of the Spoonbilled Sandpiper" - a new picture book by children's author and environmental activist Trang Nguyen.

Participants have one month to develop and complete individual illustration works. By October 30, Nha Nam, Simon & Schuster and Pop Up Projects will select works to participate in exhibitions in Hanoi, London and Manchester in November and December 2023.

The artist with the best illustration work as judged by instructors will have the opportunity to work with Simon & Schuster on a new picture book publishing project in 2024-2025.

A panel announcing the winner of the 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration: Jeet Dzung for his illustration of Saving Sorya by Trang Nguyen. Photo by Yoto Carnegies

According to Donna McGowan, Director of the British Council in Vietnam, it's one of the activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK and the 30th anniversary of the British Council in Vietnam.

The course will be held as part of the UK/Viet Nam Season 2023 program with many activities to celebrate and support cooperation programs between the two countries in three main areas, including Arts, Creativity, English Language Teaching and Educational Programs.

Nguyen Xuan Minh, Director of Planning and Copyright of Nha Nam, expressed his hope that after the course, many Vietnamese artists will take a chance to publish picture books in both the UK and Vietnam.

The course will also inspire Vietnamese artists to create more picture books with unique Vietnamese content for Vietnamese children to read, and Nha Nam will be able to introduce more Vietnamese picture books to the international market.

Over the past years, with the desire to create a new look for the Vietnamese publishing industry, Nha Nam, as a book publishing unit, has taken care of the form, especially the design, book cover, and illustrations.

The publishing house has organized many competitions to find talents in illustration and design, including the Nha Nam Book Cover Redesign Contest.