Moos Boeke has won the Small Press Award 2025 with Abel en Kaïn. Boeke wins €1500 and the opportunity to make an exhibition at De Stripdagen Haarlem in 2026. Second Prize went to Vera Wolsink, and a joint third place to Hilal Uzuner and Hilde Vermeeren.
The jury writes about the winner: ‘the free and beautiful drawings of Abel en Kaïn make use of a simple (yet effective) colour palette, and tell a layered and beautiful story that stimulates the imagination and portrays the complex emotions of gender nonconformity. Abel and Cain ticks all the boxes of what makes a good graphic narrative.’
The yearly Small Press Award celebrates artisanal, experimental, beautiful and often hand-made publications in limited editions. The award is organised by Cross Comix and Stripdagen Haarlem. The professional 2025 jury consists of Wasco, Mara Joustra, Tonio Van Vugt, and the joint SPA 2024 winners, Fynn Van Der Ziel en Abel Dijkstra. The work by the 13 contestants in this year’s competition was of exceptional quality. The jury writes of the runners-up:
2nd prize – Vera Wolsink: Er is geen manier een weiland door te steken zonder het gras plat te trappen (There is no way to cross a meadow without leaving the grass bent):
“A dreamy narrative that gains a unique form through its presentation. By laying out the book’s loose pages side by side, each page “turn” becomes a spread, offering the images in a new context.”
Shared 3d prize – Hilde Vermeeren: Niets is ooit helemaal stil (Nothing is ever really quiet):
‘Each etched panel radiates craftsmanship and dedication, making it a unique and admirable addition to anyone’s bookshelf.’
Shared 3d prize – Safak by Hilal Uzuner
‘A distinctive entry in a year of remarkable variety. A window that opens onto a memory not your own, where vivid imagery awakens the senses and, for a moment, allows you to fully step into another world.’
Main photo: Moos Boeke with last year’s prize winner Abel Dijkstra. Photo by Michelle Urbiztondo.
2025 Longlist
- Tussenjaar, Zie Groenen
- Abel en Kaïn, Moos Boeke.
- Bond, Ckoe
- De Hel van het Noorden, Nabberduk
- Er zijn meerdere manieren om een weiland door te steken, Vera Wolsink
- Flowers in Pots, Jeroen Funke
- I am Body, Zam Zadeh
- Ik dacht vandaag mezelf te zien, Floor van den Brink
- Niets is Ooit Helemaal Stil, Hilde Vermeeren
- One year at the public Library, Studio Machii
- Ramp, Jakob Akemann
- Şafak, Hilal Uzuner
- Stoeien Vissen Vallen Missen, Corné van Esterik
Moos Boeke is a young artist and writer who has devoted himself entirely to creating stories. In form, he explores the boundaries between poetry, prose, and script, while in theme, he boldly reiterates. He writes about people: about love, friendship, religion, and conflict, until he understands something about himself and others.
Hilde Vermeeren (Arnhem, 2002) is a visual storyteller who prefers to delve into graphic arts. Her work is often based on personal feelings from the subconscious and is wrapped in a mythical guise.
Hilal Uzuner (1999) was raised in the Netherlands by her Turkish family. Her art reflects the complexities of living between two cultures. Her work explores themes of heritage, religion, and personal identity, capturing everyday moments, rituals, and stories.
Vera Wolsink is an illustrator who is convinced that we will never stop growing up. She often explores and highlights personal dynamics and their vulnerability, always looking for human connection. More than telling a specific story, she strives to leave the viewer with a specific feeling, recognition or questioning their ideas.
