The Sophie Castille Awards for Comics in Translation are for the best translation of graphic novels into a variety of languages around the world. 

The inaugural award will be for the best translation of a non-English graphic novel into English. 

These awards have been created in honour of Sophie Castille, international rights director and V. P. of licensing for Mediatoon and cofounder and director of Europe Comics, who died unexpectedly last year. Since the late nineties, Sophie built bridges for bandes dessinées and their authors from of France and around the world. She was a constant source of creativity, motivating publishers from all over the world and encouraging them to exchange ideas. She became a key figure in the growth of comics and graphic novels translation around the world.

Publishers across the globe are being invited to submit for consideration graphic novels they have published that are translations into English.  The jury will be comprised of three judges: 

Karen Green, Curator for Comics and Cartoons, Columbia University's Rare Book & Manuscript Library; comic creator and former British Comics Laurate, Charlie Adlard, who has been an advocate for the translation of world comics into English for many years; and former TV producer, Peter Kessler MBE, Chair of The Lakes International Comic Art Festival.

Comics and graphic novels, considered in France as The Ninth Art, are a diverse and dynamic international medium that is growing in popularity every year and is loved the world over. Spreading these works internationally through translation is a way to bring the world together. 

With comics in translation becoming an important influence in the publishing world, VIP Brands ltd, Comica and LICAF have decided to honour Sophie’s memory and continue her work to promote comics in translation around the world with these new Awards.

During the judging phase, the names of the authors and translators will be concealed.

The prize will be awarded to the translator(s) of the work.

In the first year, the prize will be for a comic translated from any language into English. 

We are hoping to widen the scope of these awards and are thus looking for other partner festivals or sponsors around the world to help us have a Sophie Castille Award for as many languages as possible. 

If you would like to be a part of these memorial awards, please contact: i.hahnenberger@vip-licensing.net