As we near the close of 2023, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable journey we’ve had together this year. I am filled with immense pride when I think about the incredible achievements across our agency. Our success is a testament to our remarkable talent, the dedication of our team, and the invaluable partnerships we’ve forged with you, our clients.

This year our commissions have reached new horizons, spanning wider and delving deeper than ever before. It’s been such a pleasure to witness and be a part of these outstanding projects. I couldn’t help but share a few highlights from across our divisions.

As the Winter break draws near, I extend my warmest wishes to each of you. May this break be a time of well-deserved rest and cherished moments with your loved ones. Your support and collaboration have been instrumental in our shared successes, and for that, we are truly grateful.

In bidding farewell to 2023, we look ahead with nothing but optimism for 2024. Where we will be celebrating our 21st birthday and we will continue with the Bright tradition of creativity, collaboration, and being commercial.

Wishing you all the very best, and a Happy New Year.

Vicki

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Bright Winter Party

The Bright Agency welcomed the festive period with its annual Winter Party held at the magnificent Lost Society, Battersea. The event was an excellent opportunity for our clients to meet our talented artists and agents, discuss all things related to illustration, and unwind with a drink or two.

Vicki Willden-Lebrecht and Bright’s Global MD James Burns

Bright Artist Ben Mantle

Bright Artist Laura Watkins

See the full recap here.

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The Great Storm Whale and 10 Years of The Storm Whale Series

It was with the release of the beloved children’s classic with Simon & Schuster, The Storm Whale, that Benji made his debut as an author and illustrator. The book was met with critical acclaim, capturing the hearts of both young and old readers alike. Its success paved the way for the subsequent sequels, Grandma Bird and The Storm Whale in Winter.

October 12th brought with it a celebration for the release of The Great Storm Whale - the highly anticipated addition to the series. The occasion also marks the 10-year anniversary of the first book. As we dive into the pages of his new tale, we are reminded of the impact Benji has had on readers worldwide and celebrate that Benji’s stories have been co-editioned in over forty-one languages.

A gorgeous spread from The Great Storm Whale

See the full recap here.

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Our Message on Artificial Intelligence

We sent our artist’s a survey regarding the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and we want to thank them for taking the time to share their thoughts and concerns with us. It was enormously helpful to have those honest and open thoughts. We collated and processed the feedback, and are committed to addressing the questions, concerns, fears and curiosity to the best of our ability.

See the full recap here.

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Bunnies in a Sleigh Book Launch

In November, we had the pleasure of celebrating the launch of the delightful new picture book, Bunnies in a Sleigh. This charming collaboration between author Philip Ardagh and Bright Artist Ben Mantle took place at The Bright offices in Clapham Junction, London, and the evening was a perfect testament to their combined talent.

See the full recap here.

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Society of Illustrators Original Art Show 2023

The Society of Illustrators 2023 Original Art Show was hosted on November 9, 2023. This annual competition highlights the very best in children’s illustration from books that were published in the U.S. The attendance was made up of editors, art directors, publishers, illsutrators, art students – all there to appreciate the range in style and creativity in childrens books. We were thrilled to learn that five of our Bright artists had works being featured at the show! Here’s a quick recap of our evening. Take a look below to see a few photos from the reception and our immensely talented Bright artists that were featured in this years show.

Agents James Burns, Emily Fernandez, Susan Penny, and Alex Gehringer (l.). Bright artist Fiona Woodcock, and Agent Anne Moore-Armstrong (r.).

See the full recap here.

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Frankfurt in London

Bright’s inaugural ‘Frankfurt In London’ event, running just before we flew over to Frankfurt Buchmesse, was a roaring success. This gathering brought together clients and agents from the illustration and books world for engaging talks, discussions, and networking opportunities, all held at our wonderful HQ in Clapham Junction, London.

See the full recap here.

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Bright Carnival

July saw us celebrate our artists in style, throwing a carnival in the sunshine. All the games, all the activities (and an excellent selection of food)! There’s nothing better than sharing in the successes of the amazing people we represent.

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Book Trust’s Books about Black Joy

Black History Month serves as a poignant reminder of the pivotal role Black people have played in shaping authentic, diverse, and inclusive art, designs, and publications.

We’re so pleased to be sharing some of the incredible books that the Book Trust have included in their Books about Black joy for 0-5s Booklist and Books about Black joy for 8+ Booklists.

See the full recap here.

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Alex Willmore Summer Events Round-Up

Award-winning author illustrator Alex Willmore is known for his quirky art style and humorous storytelling. His work is bold, vibrant, and full of character, and he is best known for his work on amazing picture books such as The Runaway Pea (Simon & Schuster), I Did See A Mammoth (Farshore) and One Hungry Dragon (Hachette).

Spyceratops launches at Watersones Milton Keynes

See the full recap here.

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Richard Jones Wins CLiPPA, CLPE Poetry Award 2023

Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at play among figures of speech, Illustrated by Richard Jones, written by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, was announced winner for CLiPPA, the CLPE poetry award 2023.

See the full recap here.

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DK acquire rights to Alligators Mouth Anthology

It was announced that the Alligator’s Mouth Award, in partnership with the Bright Agency, will be working with publisher DK to produce a collection of stories by award-winning writers and illustrator that will captivate children for years to come. Global rights for the Anthology were acquired by DK’s Children’s Publisher Francesca Young, in a deal negotiated by Arabella Stein of the Bright Agency.

Tony West, Francesca Young, Margaret Wallace-Jones, Arabella Stein

See the full recap here.

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An Slipéar Gloine awarded at the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Book Awards

An Slipéar Gloine illustrated by Paddy Donnelly won the Judges’ Special Award at the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Book Awards.

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Waterstones’ Book of the Year - Shortlisted

‘A Whale of a Time’ illustrated by Matt Hunt, written by Lou Peacock, published by Nosy Crow, was shortlisted for Waterstones’ Book of the Year.

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School Library Association’s Information Book Award - Winner

‘The Big Book of Mysteries’ illustrated by Yas Imamura, written by Tom Adams, published by Nosy Crow, is the winner of the School Library Association’s Information Book Award in the 8-12 category.

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Japanese Illustration Awards - Bronze Award

Vencho Wang was received the Bronze Award at the Japanese Illustration Awards.

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Bishop Stortford Award - Winner

Hom, illustrated by Paddy Donnelly, won the Bishop Stortford Award.

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Sarah Long for Coca-Cola

Sarah’s fizzing illustrations for Coca-Cola’s festive campaign, featuring the iconic red and an always jubilant Father Christmas, heralds the close of the year with sparkle and pizzazz. We can’t wait to crack open a bottle and relax into the most wonderful time of the year.

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Virginia Moura for Avenue Magazine

Virginia Moura was commissioned by Avenue Magazine to create these sophisticated pieces to breathe life into a few spreads of their latest issue. Virginia’s illustrations are just quintessentially New York City, a quality we have all come to expect from her work.

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Bea Müller for Sephora

Once again, we get to celebrate the incredible detail and timeless charm of Bea’s work, this time in the form of this expertly crafted and exquisitely detailed advertorial for Sephora. Featuring her signature color palette and love for family and community. This illustration can’t stop us feeling anything but ready for time with our loved ones, and we can feel the encouragement to gift them something beautiful.

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Nastka Drabot for Disney+

Nastka was recently commissioned by the good people at Disney+ to create a couple of posters for the release of the latest TV show in Star Wars universe, Ahsoka.

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Becca Hall for Harrods

Becca Hall created this regal illustration for client Harrods, in celebration of the Coronation.

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Bright Books Hitting the Shelves in 2023

2023 saw our artists work on an amazing collection of projects, with titles that garnered best-selling and award-laden acclaim. This blog, a round-up of the publishing work they’ve been involved with this year, is a testament to how brilliant every single one of them is.

To see the full recap, click here.

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We are always so proud of everything our artists achieve and 2023 was a testament to their wonderful talent and the amazing clients we work with. Have a favourite memory with Bright from 2023? Share it with us here.