Puffin Graphic Novel Competition Winner Announced at Thought Bubble 2025

Puffin Graphics is thrilled to announce the winner of the 2025 Puffin Graphic Novel Competition. From a range of impressive entries, the winning project – LULUBELLE by Leo Marcell - has been selected. The Puffin Graphics Competition was launched in May of this year to discover and support graphic novel creators from underrepresented communities. The goal is to ensure that every child can see themselves reflected in this vibrant and expanding segment of the market.

A middle-grade fantasy adventure with exceptional commercial potential, LULUBELLE captivated the judges with its stunning artwork and epic, exciting storyline. The winner was revealed live over the weekend at the Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival. 

Entrants were invited to submit graphic novel story pitches and artwork aimed at children and young people aged 5 and older. The competition was open to any comics creator in the UK or Ireland who identified as coming from an underrepresented background or community. The judging panel for the entries included Bea Carvalho, Head of Books at Waterstones; Jodie Hodges, illustrated children's books agent at United Agents; and Lucy Starbuck Braidley, Senior Programme Manager at National Literacy Trust, alongside Naomi Colthurst, Editorial Director at Penguin Random House Children's. 

Naomi Colthurst says: 'Puffin's mission is to publish a book for every child, and within this, Puffin Graphics aims to create and publish immersive, escapist, inclusive and most importantly, fun stories that celebrate the joy of reading through art. We are delighted to now be home to Leo's impressive work: out of an incredibly strong shortlist, LULUBELLE immediately stood out to the judges thanks to Leo's extraordinary art, which is commercially-driven but beautifully vibrant and detailed. Lulubelle's story is sure to capture readers' imaginations, and we are extremely excited to work with Leo on crafting his brilliant pitch into an exceptional graphic novel series. It was very special to announce the winner live at Thought Bubble, which is such a unique celebration of comics, as we could celebrate directly with so many readers, creators and fans.'

Leo Marcell says, "I am so incredibly grateful to Puffin for giving me the chance to tell Lulubelle's story, it's not so often such an opportunity comes about. Seeing someone a little bit different, a little bit out of the ordinary, explore and navigate the world is a story I have always wanted to tell. Of someone who is not only misunderstood, but struggles to understand the world around them and how, knowing that, still manages to stay true to 

their beliefs. LULUBELLE is a story drawn from love, and I can't wait to make something truly special with the team."

Puffin Graphics Design Manager, Jan Bielecki, adds: "From an incredibly strong shortlist, Leo's captivating and fully fledged world jumped out at us. It's rare to see submissions or even final graphic novel artwork created to such a high standard. We can't wait to help Leo bring his world to readers and spark their imaginations."

Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival in Harrogate - the UK's largest comic art convention – champions creativity, inclusivity, and storytelling across all forms of graphic art. It brings together tens of thousands of creators, publishers, and fans each year. Puffin Graphics hosted its first-ever stand at the festival, showcasing its growing list, with activities including a panel event featuring FAR-OUT FIVE creator Olaf Falafel and an exhibition booth highlighting the best that Puffin Graphics has to offer.

Puffin Graphics is a list of best-in-class graphic novels for children. It was launched in April 2024 and has nearly doubled its market share between 2024 and 2025. The expanding list of titles includes the brilliantly anarchic and global hit series MAX MEOW, the super-sweet, super-inclusive and super-funny tween series PAWS and hilarious series for younger readers PIZZA AND TACO.

2025 saw the launch of Puffin Graphics' first original project - the bestselling UNFAIRIES by UK creator Huw Aaron. It was crowned as Waterstones Children's Book of the Month - their first-ever graphic novel selection. Huw is already the number 12 bestselling graphic novelist in the UK, with UNFAIRIES selling 13.7K copies through TCM in just three months on sale. In 2026, Puffin Graphics continues to launch UK creators in the graphic novel space, with FAR OUT FIVE by Olaf Falafel publishing in February and STAR BREAKERS created by Ed Caruana and illustrated by Chris Hazeldine publishing in August.  

LULUBELLE, by Leo Marcell, will be developed by Puffin Graphics, with the aim of being published in paperback by Puffin in 2028.