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

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 in 2022. 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.

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.

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

Upcoming festivals hosting Sophie Castille Award in 2024 include:

FICOM Barcelona 3-5thMay, Comicon Napoli 27th April, The International Festival of Comics and Games Łodz, Tinta Festival Slovenia and LICAF 29th September.