Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême
Working with the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter, students Jamie England, James Taylor, Jack Ratcliff, Kitty McEwan, Chloe Sudborough, and Freya Lyndon traveled to Angoulême with lecturer Simon Breus. Check out some of their work below!
Not only did this fab delegation head to Angoulême to experience the creative riches of the Festival for themselves, but they also had the opportunity to enter the inaugural UNESCO Literary Project Competition….
Home to the world-famous Angoulême International Comics Festival, fellow UNESCO City of Literature Angoulême invited us to send some of Devon’s finest comic book students to the 50th Anniversary Festival & enter a special competition!
Angloulême’s Literary
Project UNESCO Prize
For the first time, the Angoulême Festival, in collaboration with UNESCO, opened its doors to young people from UNESCO's Creative Cities, and launched an international writing project.
Last January, a delegation of young people from all over the world was invited by the Festival, in partnership with the town of Angoulême, to discover the city of Valois and, at the same time, the many facets of comics.
Ceremonies, exhibitions, thought-provoking meetings as part of the La vie en BD forum, and privileged exchanges with institutions.
The Festival offered them the opportunity to discover the 9th art through its abundant programming.
Prior to their visit, these young people took part in an international short story competition. This was an opportunity for them to imagine a story addressing one of UNESCO's sustainable development goals.
University of Plymouth student James Taylor was the winner!
A skilful blend of dystopia and futurism, James’ winning short story Handmade Giants was awarded the Literary Project Unesco 2023 Prize at the Prix Découvertes ceremony in January, and has now been adapted into a beautiful comic strip by the 2023 Young Talent Cartoonist winner Valériane Macabrey, the Festival's Jeune Talent 2023. You can read Handmade Giants below!
James says:
“It was an honour to be chosen to go to Angoulême on behalf of Exeter City of Literature, and a huge surprise to win the Literature Award! I was so inspired by all of the French comics I got to see, and everyone else at the Festival, too. I can’t wait to take everything I learned from this trip forward into my own work. Thank you to the UNESCO Creative Cities!”
Story: James Taylor
Illustration: Valériane Macabrey