The shortlist has been announced for this year's V&A Illustration Awards

From imaginary worlds and fairytales to the difficult reality of life in a refugee camp, this year's shortlist is available to view in an online gallery, covering four main categories: Book Illustration, Book Cover, Illustrated Journalism and Student Illustrator of the Year.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday 2 June and will each receive a £3000 prize and trophy, while the 'Student Runner-Up' will get £2000 and a trophy. The overall winner will get an additional £5000 and will be honoured with the Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year prize, named in memory of the late Moira Gemmill, the V&A’'s former Director of Design.

The judges for the published categories are Bonnie Greer, playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster, Ren Renwick, CEO of the Association of Illustrators and Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A Museum. The judging panel for the Student Award comprises Sheri Gee, Art Director at The Folio Society and Yehrin Tong, Illustrator and past winner of the V&A Illustration Awards.

Free to enter each year, the V&A Illustration Awards is seen as one of the best competitions in the creative community. Alva Skog, Student Commended Shortlist 2018, said: "It showed me that my work is good enough. To be shortlisted for that project gave me the confidence I needed to believe in my own ideas and to keep doing more self- initiated projects."

Helen Musselwhite, Editorial and Overall Winner 2014, adds: "It made me believe in myself and my work and that what I was making wasn't in vain. That belief comes and goes but I have my award in my studio to remind and encourage me."

You can view some of the shortlisted work below, or visit vam.ac.uk to see the V&A's online gallery.