‘Meow? MEOW!’ – a Picture Hooks competition
We’re excited to announce our first before and after Instagram competition of 2025! Purrfect for all you feline fans, the prompt is ‘Meow? MEOW!’.
Inspired by the mischievous and unpredictable nature of kitties, it’s all about the idea of ‘what the cat did next’.
We want you to create two illustrations in a swipe-through format to tell us a story that revolves around a cat (or cats), showing the same character or characters before and after a transition. The ability to create a consistent, relatable character across different contexts – both physical and emotional – is a core skill publishers look for in children’s book illustrators.
There’s no limit to the number of characters you can depict – there can be humans involved in this one, too! – but the background must be plain.
As with other Picture Hooks competitions, we’ll be looking to see how you communicate your character’s experience through their facial expressions and physicality.
The illustrations submitted must be your own, original work.
The competition will open for submissions on Thursday 6th March and close on Wednesday 9th April at 23:59pm.
The competition
There will be one ‘Meow? MEOW!’ competition taking place between 6th March and 9th April 2025.
Prizes
The competition will have one winner, who will receive £500. There will be two additional awarded runners up, who will receive £250 each. Awarded illustrations will be displayed on the Picture Hooks social media in the first instance, and in a physical exhibition space one day.
Eligibility
The Picture Hooks ‘Meow? MEOW!’ competition is open to all people of any nationality aged 17 and over, except employees of Picture Hooks or any agent or sponsor associated with the competition and members of their immediate families. Entries are limited to one entry (ie. one pair of illustrations) per person.
There is no fee to enter!
Further information
Please note, by submitting an entry you are confirming that both illustrations are your own, original work of which you are the copyright owner, and that you agree to the Terms and Conditions as set out on the Submission Form including the granting of certain rights to exhibit your illustrations online and in a physical space and allowing for the option to further use your entry with your prior consent. Please read all Terms and Conditions and ensure you understand them before entering this competition.
Illustration Requirements:
1. Your entry must be submitted in its final form and must be two wholly original illustrations created by you which contain no material taken from a third-party source. The illustrations must not have been published in any form (other than non-commercially on either your own website or your own social media platform) and must not have been submitted to any competition other than a Picture Hooks‘Meow? MEOW!’competition, or to any third party for publication previously.
2. Your pair of original illustrations may be any size and medium; however, your final entry for the competition must be submitted as digital files of your pair of illustrations (see How to Submit below).
3. Your two illustrations must not be in portrait format but may be square or landscape.
4. Your two digital submission files should be low-resolution digital files with the following specifications – file format: jpg | resolution: 72 dpi | colour mode: RGB | max file size: 3 MB per file. (Only the winners will be asked to provide high-resolution digital files.)
5. Label both of your digital illustration files with your name and the title of the illustration pair – for example, “Paolo Rosso–Meow MEOW”. PLEASE LABEL WITHOUT USING ‘?’ OR YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO SAVE THE FILE.
6. If you are unable to scan your illustrations, then you may take a photograph of your illustrations using a digital camera or a smartphone, ensuring the Illustration Requirements are still met and that your photographs are clear and in focus. If you submit your entry using this method, please keep your original illustrations safe and in good condition until at least two weeks after the closing date of the ‘Meow? MEOW!’ competition.
Entries that do not meet the above Illustration Requirements may be disqualified.
How to submit:
1. Ensure you meet the Eligibility criteria (see above) and you have read and understood the Terms and Conditions (including the Licence) set out on the Submission Form.
2. Ensure your entry meets the Illustration Requirements above.
3. Complete the submission form.
4. Email your submission (with both illustrations attached to the same email) to submissions@picturehooks.org.uk.
Submission and decision dates:
There will be one ‘Meow? MEOW!’ competition:
Submissions will open at 09.00 am UK time on 6th March 2025 and close at 11.59 pm UK time on 9th April 2025. The successful submissions (winner and awarded runners up) will receive an email by 11.59 pm UK time on 18th April.
Please review the Frequently Asked Questions section below for further details on submitting your illustrations.
Good luck and thank you for reading!
FAQs
What happens if I win?
The winner of each competition will receive £500, and two additional awarded runners-up will receive £250 each. The prize-winning illustrations will be featured online – on Instagram, BlueSky, and Facebook. We may also show other highly commended entries but we’ll be touch with you if that’s the case.
If I submit illustrations on a different theme, can it still be considered by the judges?
Sorry – no. Please submit one pair of illustrations of a before and after situation featuring a cat or cats.
Can I submit one illustration rather than two?
No – a complete entry must include two illustrations showing the same character or characters in a before and after format.
Can I introduce new characters in one of my two illustrations?
Yes, but the main character or characters must remain the same between both illustrations.
May I submit physical samples?
No. Entries are to be submitted online only.
Can I submit illustrations that I made for another purpose?
The aim of the competition is to inspire fresh creativity – our hope is that the competition will continue to spark original, creative ideas.
How many digital files must I submit?
We require you to submit two digital files, one of each of your illustrations – as low-resolution jpgs. (Only the winners will be required to submit high-resolution files.)
Can my illustrations be any size?
Yes, but they must be landscape or square, not portrait. And when you submit them, you must provide one digital file of each illustration with the following specifications: File format: jpg | resolution: 72 dpi | colour mode: RGB | max file size: 3 MB).
What colour format should the files be in?
The digital files should be in RGB format and saved as a .jpg. If you are successful and if we wish to display your work in print, Picture Hooks will contact you to discuss the specific file formats we need.
What if I don’t have a scanner?
If you are unable to scan your illustrations, then you can take a photograph of your illustrations using a digital camera or a smartphone, ensuring the Illustration Requirements above are still met and that your photographs are clear and in focus. If you are a winner, we will be in touch with you about how to scan your work.
How do I compress my files?
If using Photoshop you can use ‘Save for web and devices’ to compress your artworks as jpg files. Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat also allow for compression and optimising of artwork when creating jpg files.
When will I know if my submission is successful?
Successful submissions will receive an email from us to congratulate them on their win. If you don’t hear from us by the notification date, then we’re afraid you have been unsuccessful. We cannot email unsuccessful participants but we do however look at every entry we receive. We will publish the results on our Instagram, Facebook and BlueSky pages.
Do I attach my illustrations to the submission form?
No, you submit them separately. Please fill and submit your submission form via our website, and then send us your pair of illustrations, both attached to the same email, to submissions@picturehooks.org.uk. Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure your illustrations are sent correctly.
What happens if my entry doesn’t meet the time deadline?
If your entry is received after the deadline, it cannot be considered, so please make sure you send the artworks and submission form to us according to the deadlines for the competition, as specified above. And please remember that we need to have both your pair of illustrations and your submission form for your entry to be valid. We regret that we are unable to contact those who fail to follow these instructions.
If I win the competition, will I have to pay to print and frame my winning illustrations?
No, Picture Hooks can pay and organise that.
Is it possible to win more than once?
We judge entries blind so previous wins are not considered at the judging stage, however in the interest of opening the competitions to as many as possible from 2024 we will be trying to avoid the same individual winning more than once. It is possible to be a runner up more than once, or be a runner up on one occasion and a winner on another.
For more help, please contact info@picturehooks.org.uk
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Before you fill in the Submission form, please read the following Terms and Conditions.
Terms and Conditions
1. There will be one Picture Hooks ‘Meow? MEOW!’ competition. It is open to people of any nationality aged 17 and over, except employees of Picture Hooks, any agent or sponsor associated with these competitions, and members of their immediate families. You may only enter one pair of images to the competition. Picture Hooks reserves the right to require proof of identity and age and any other evidence required to prove that the terms of the relevant competition have been fulfilled before awarding any prize. Any failure to supply such proof and evidence as requested will disqualify the winner and an alternative winner will be selected. No purchase is necessary and no entry fee is required to enter these competitions.
2. Entries must consist of two wholly original illustrations in their final form which contain no material taken from a third source. The illustrations must not have been published in any other form (other than non-commercially on either your own website or your own social media platform) and must not have been submitted to any competition (other than a Picture Hooks ‘Meow? MEOW!’ competition) or to any third party for publication previously. The original illustrations may be any size and medium; however, the entry for the competition must be submitted as two digital files which are capable of being uploaded. The illustrations must not be portrait. You must provide two low-resolution digital files each with the following specifications: File format: jpg | resolution: 72 dpi | colour mode: RGB | max file size: 3 MB.
3. By entering the Picture Hooks ‘Meow? MEOW!’ competition each entrant is considered to have executed the Licence displayed at the end of these Terms and Conditions. Please note that the Licence grants certain rights to exhibit the entrant’s illustrations online and in a physical space and allows for the option to further use the illustrations with the entrant’s consent, but on completion of the final confirmation and awarding of the prizes for the relevant competition, the Licence shall be deemed null and void in respect of every entrant to that competition other than the finally confirmed winner and two awarded runners up (meaning that after the winner and two awarded runners up are confirmed, the Licence only applies to the three prize-winning pairs of illustrations for each competition). On request the winners and awarded runners up of the competition will execute such additional paperwork as Picture Hooks requires in order to confirm and give effect to the terms of the Licence. Execution shall be by written or electronic signature in accordance with the Promoter’s instructions.
4. The competition will be judged by a committee appointed by Picture Hooks (which will include at least one independent member). The decision of Picture Hooks and the judging committee shall be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
5. The winner will receive £500 within 30 days of confirmation of the winner by Picture Hooks and any necessary proof being established by Picture Hooks and any additional paperwork being completed where this is considered necessary by Picture Hooks (see items 1 and 3 above). No alternative will be offered to the prize.
6. Both awarded runners up will each receive £250 within 30 days of confirmation of the awarded runners up by Picture Hooks and any necessary proof being established by Picture Hooks and any additional paperwork being completed where this is considered necessary by Picture Hooks (see items 1 and 3 above). No alternative will be offered to the prizes.
7. Completed entries for the competition must be received during the relevant period specified under ‘Submission and Decision Dates’ on the Picture Hooks website. Each entrant can submit only one entry (comprising one pair of illustrations) per competition and entries must not be submitted through agents or third parties. Picture Hooks cannot be held liable for system failures relating to the delivery systems for the competition, including the website and any other electronic delivery method.
8. The winner and awarded runners up of each competition will be notified by email by the deadline specified under ‘Submission and Decision Dates’ on Picture Hooks’ website. If contact cannot be made by that date or a prize is declined within two weeks of the notification being made, the prize will be forfeited. In this instance, the entrant who supplied the next best illustrations will be contacted.
9. Picture Hooks reserves the right to display the name of each winner and awarded runner up in promotional material for the Picture Hooks ‘Meow? MEOW!’ competition and on the Picture Hooks website and along with the illustrations themselves. Each entrant gives consent to such use of their name.
10. No responsibility will be taken for entries that are damaged, corrupted, incomplete, lost, delayed in transmission or otherwise fail to reach Picture Hooks by the relevant closing date. Entries will not be returned to entrants. Entries that are incomplete, damaged, corrupted or fraudulent will be invalid.
11. It is a condition of entry that all entrants agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions (including the Licence below). Entrants are asked to retain a copy for future reference. Entry into the Picture Hooks ‘Meow? MEOW!’ competition constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions and the Licence.
12. Picture Hooks may assign or otherwise transfer its rights and obligations under these Terms and Conditions in whole or in part at its discretion. These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and are subject to the jurisdiction of the English courts.
‘Picture Hooks’ means Picture Hooks, 33 Inverleith Terrace, Edinburgh, EH3 5NU, including its successors and assigns.
Licence
By entering any Picture Hooks ‘Meow? MEOW!’ Competition and submitting your entry you have executed this Licence.
Definitions
‘the Entrant’ means the entrant to the ‘Meow? MEOW!’ Competition
‘the Promoter’ means Picture Hooks
‘the Illustrations’ means the Entrant’s entry to the relevant ‘Meow? MEOW!’ Competition
1. For full and valuable consideration, receipt of which the Entrant hereby acknowledges, the Entrant hereby grants to the Promoter the sole and exclusive right and licence throughout the world for a period of five years from the closing date of confirmation that the Entrant is the winner or awarded runner up of the relevant competition (a) to exhibit the Illustrations on the Picture Hooks website, (b) to exhibit the Illustrations in an online exhibition, (c) to print one copy of the Illustrations to frame and exhibit in a physical space and (d) to produce, print, distribute, sell and license postcards of the Illustrations but only with the Entrant’s prior consent and always on terms to be agreed in advance with the Entrant. The printed copy of the Illustrations themselves shall belong to Picture Hooks but the copyright in the Illustrations shall remain the copyright of the Entrant. Picture Hooks reserves the right not to exploit the rights granted under (b), (c) or (d) above.
2. The Promoter will not add to, adapt or otherwise alter the Illustrations (other than resizing) without the Entrant’s approval.
3. The Promoter will credit the Entrant as the illustrator of the Illustrations and include a copyright notice in the name of the Entrant wherever the Illustrations are displayed by the Promoter and the Promoter will require the same in respect of any further display or use of the Illustrations by a third party.
4. The Entrant warrants and guarantees to the Promoter that the Entrant is the sole and exclusive owner of all rights in the Illustrations and has the right to submit the Illustrations and has full power to enter into this Licence and that by doing so the Entrant is not in violation of any duty of confidentiality. The Entrant warrants and guarantees to the Promoter that the Illustrations are not subject to any other contract, agreement or commission with any gallery, studio, publisher, institution, company or person that restricts the Entrant’s ability to comply with this Licence or the Terms and Conditions of the Picture Hooks Quiet/Loud competition and that the Illustrations are original to the Entrant and do not infringe any copyright, trademark, moral right, or any other right of any person or entity and do not include anything defamatory or otherwise unlawful. The Entrant will indemnify and keep indemnified the Promoter and its assignees and licensees against all actions, suits, proceedings, claims, demands, losses and costs (including any legal costs or expenses properly incurred and any compensation costs and disbursements paid by the Promoter on the advice of the Promoter’s legal advisers to compromise or settle any claim), occasioned to the Promoter and its assignees and licensees in consequence of any breach or alleged breach of the Entrant’s warranties.
5. The Promoter may assign or otherwise transfer its rights and obligations under this Assignment in whole or in part at its discretion.
6. This Licence shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and is subject to the jurisdiction of the English courts.
Submission Form
Once you have completed the Submission form, please press the Submit button. If you do not complete this final step your submission will not be accepted.