Aditi Anand’s ‘Marigolds’ Wins Prestigious UK Award, On Display at V&A

Aditi Anand, a 25-year-old graduate from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), has been named the winner of the prestigious Emerging Illustrator category at the V&A Illustration Awards. Her artwork, Marigolds, is set in India and highlights the theme of child labor and lost childhoods. The V&A Illustration Awards, which are held biennially and Aditi’s success further solidifies ARU’s strong reputation in the field of illustration.

Award and Recognition

• Aditi Anand won the Emerging Illustrator category at the V&A Illustration Awards for her work Marigolds.

• The artwork addresses the theme of child labor and is set in India, reflecting on lost childhoods.
• Aditi’s victory comes with a £3,000 prize, and her work will be on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London until September 2025.

Aditi’s Remarks

• I am extremely thrilled to have won the V&A Illustration Award for Marigolds and I am deeply honored that the V&A has shown such respect for this theme by providing it with a platform and displaying it in the museum. 
• I hope it offers readers a window into a world that may be very different from their own.
• This achievement would not have been possible without the remarkable Children’s Book Illustration team at Anglia Ruskin, and I am endlessly grateful for the support of my tutors and peers throughout my MA. 
• Their guidance has been instrumental in shaping my visual language and uncovering my appreciation for stories that address difficult themes and possess strong emotional depth. 
• I was consistently encouraged to experiment and embrace mistakes, free from judgment.

Aditi’s Journey

• Aditi is from Karnal, India, and initially pursued a degree in commerce and business before switching to children’s book illustration.
• She found her passion for illustration while working for her college magazine and later completed her MA in Children’s Book Illustration at ARU.
• She credited the ARU Children’s Book Illustration team for encouraging her to experiment and develop her visual storytelling skills.

Support from ARU and Tutors

• Aditi expressed her gratitude to her tutors and peers at ARU for shaping her artistic approach and helping her address emotionally charged themes in her work.
• Shelley Jackson, Associate Professor and Course Leader for the MA in Children’s Book Illustration at ARU, praised Aditi’s dedication, warmth, and talent, predicting a bright future for her in the field.

Other Award-Winning ARU Graduates

• In addition to Aditi’s success, ARU graduates Kate Rolfe and Kate Winter also received recognition for their work. 
• Rolfe won the AOI World Illustration Award for her book Wiggling Words, while Winter received the £5,000 Klaus Flugge Prize for The Fossil Hunter.

About The V&A Illustration Awards

• The V&A Illustration Awards is a free, biennial competition celebrating excellence in illustration and contemporary practice, and judged by a panel of prominent illustrators and industry experts.
• First established in 1972, the V&A’s competition is defined by a focus on the British illustration industry, celebrating artwork made for the UK market by artists from across the globe as well as artwork made by illustrators living in the UK. 
• The Awards are generously supported by The Linder Foundation and the Moira Gemmill Memorial fund.