You can now see the three illustrations submitted by this year’s Illustrators of the Future contest winners. And you should. They are awesome! Click here.

John Barlow has been commissioned to illustrate my winning story, though I won’t get to see it until a reveal event at the workshop in Hollywood next month. I’ve had a look at the illustrations on his site and I’m so excited to see what he’s done for my story. I don’t know how they pair up illustrators and writers (I’ll have to ask), but I think they’ve done an excellent job.

What is the Illustrators of the Future contest?

It is the parallel contest to the Writers of the Future. The two go hand in hand because each of the winning stories is illustrated by a winner of the illustrators’ contest, with the annual volume being an anthology with at least twelve illustrated stories from up and coming writers and illustrators from around the world. And for an up and coming writer like me, this is the first time one of my stories will have its own illustration. And I can’t wait!

Submissions come from around the globe, with each entrant providing three pieces of science fiction/fantasy art. The competition is open to all, with no restrictions on age, race, gender, religion, or ideology, and all entries are judged anonymously.

Every quarter, a panel of esteemed judges selects three winners. At the end of the year, the 12 winning artists receive a 30-day commission to create a full-page colour illustration for a winning story from the Writers of the Future Contest. These illustrations are featured in the annual anthology and automatically enter the next phase of the competition, where one artist is awarded the prestigious Golden Brush Award.

Even for someone who isn’t an illustrator, I recognised some big names from the science fiction and fantasy world among the list of judges, such as Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons) and Mike Perkins (various Marvel and DC Comics, as well as the graphic novel adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand).