As part of his win, Billy Partridge has been mentored by an SAA Agent for more than 6 months. We catch up and ask him how he is getting on.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your practice as an illustrator?

I’m a UK based illustrator, mainly working within the publishing sector at present. My work often revolves around characters (mostly of the slightly bizarre kind) and the sometimes mythical worlds they inhabit. Earlier this year I completed my debut picture book, ‘HUPO and the Wonder Thief’, which is due for release spring next year with Flying Eye Books, and am currently working on a number of other fun publishing projects!

Can you explain a bit about the work you entered to the World Illustration Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?

The work I entered into the 2023 WIAs was my cover for a picture book adaptation of Lewis Caroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’. I thought this was a good choice for a number of reasons, one of these being the strong composition of the image, in which a central character sits uneasily between two large, arresting eyes. I felt this was a good ‘attention-grabber’, and would appeal to viewers of every age. 

How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?

Winning an award has been incredibly helpful for me in a way that I think only this particular award (the SAA award could be). So far, it has been an incredibly insightful learning experience, and I’ve come to a much stronger understanding of how my work fits into the market, and where to go looking for jobs that will suit it. Caroline from Arena agency has been instrumental in steering me through this process, and I look forward to continuing down this path.

It’s also been fantastic having my work shown to publishers who I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to contact, and Caroline’s knowledge of the industry has allowed me to tailor my portfolio better to what’s currently in demand. 

What would your advice be for illustrators who might be thinking about entering this year’s Awards?

My advice? Do it! It’s a great way to put yourself out there, particularly if that’s not something you’re used to doing. Ultimately, it’s going to get your work seen by a lot of new people, and it can’t hurt to give it a good airing. Choose a piece that you feel particularly proud of and use it as your way of putting yourself forward and introducing yourself. In many ways, winning an award is just a bonus.

Can you tell us about any forthcoming projects or your future plans?

I’m currently in the process of creating HUPO 2, in which the characters find themselves in a whole new battle. Expect lots of action, emotion, and the odd meme-able expression from Hupo. I’m also developing picture book and older reader concepts with a few publishers, so these will take root soon and should be the beginnings of some really cool projects, but I can’t reveal too much more than that!

Find out more about the World Illustration Awards.