Short Description:

The Silent Book Contest is organized by the Italian publisher Carthusia Edizioni.

Participants are invited to create and submit a silent book – an illustrated book without words that tells a story through images alone.

  • The book project must not contain words, with exclusion of the title and possible subtitle. The narration must be realized exclusively through the illustrations and have narrative and stylistic coherence. There are no limits regarding age or reader group, and the subject matter is open.
  • The Author undertakes, under his sole responsibility, to ensure that the illustrations included in the book project are original and unpublished works, as well as the project presented in the competition, absolving the organization, the International Jury and the publisher Carthusia Edizioni who will publish the winning book project, from any moral and legal responsibility in case of projects book and / or illustrations presented in violation of this regulation, copyright and / or in case of plagiarism to third parties.
  • The illustrations featured in the book projects can be in colour or black and white, with unlimited traditional or digital techniques and media.
  • The project must be presented on double pages with an open format of 57 cms in width and 28.5 cms in height (closed format 28.5×28.5cms and opening from right to left). Number of double pages is prefixed: 14 internal double pages of 57×28,5 cms, 1 double page as frontispiece with dedication, front and back cover (total number of pages: 16).
  • Will not be admitted to the selection: book projects with partial or incomplete layouts and book projects exceeding, due to excess or defect, from the dimensions specified.
  • The subscription to the Silent Book Contest 2026 – Gianni De Conno Award, the upload of the PDF file and the payment of the enrolment fee (with PayPal or credit Card) must be done exclusively online on our website following all the given instructions. All the procedure must be completed within the 20th January 2026.

Eligibility:

The competition is open to illustrators of any nationality over the age of 18.

Program Benefits or Awards:

The winning book project of the Silent Book Contest 2026 will be published by Carthusia Edizioni. The author will sign a regular publishing contract and receive a cash prize of  2,700 € as advance on the royalties.

 Entry Fee:

The entry fee is 60 €.

Location:

Italy

Deadline:

20 January 2026

Website link: 

https://silentbookcontest.com/rules/

Award/PrizeCompetitionPublication