Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler blasts Brexit and ‘may have to leave UK’

Children’s book illustrator Axel Scheffler has hit out at Brexit as he picked up the illustrator of the year prize at the British Book Awards.

German-born Scheffler is best known for his work on Julia Donaldson’s books, including The Gruffalo series.

“I can’t pretend it’s business as usual. It’s just 10 months until ‘Freedom Day’ – next March,” he said.

“Worst-case scenario, I might not be allowed to stay here by the time my next book with Julia is launched.”

The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019. The UK voted for Brexit by 52% to 48% in 2016.

In December, a joint document issued by the UK government and the EU said both EU Citizens and UK nationals can continue “to live, work or study as they currently do under the same conditions as under Union law” after Brexit.

“And, even if I had, somehow, studied in the UK, I would have had to leave after my studies ended in 1985. So there would never have been the successful Anglo-German joint venture Donaldson-Scheffler.”

Scheffler said he was “very grateful” for the award and “to the judges who chose me, a foreign EU citizen in Brexit times – that’s a nice gesture”.

He added: “But I also accept it with a heavy heart and maybe even a slightly bitter feeling – it feels like a consolation prize. Or even a farewell gift.”

The December document confirmed that EU and UK citizens have free movement of rights until the day the UK withdraws from the EU next year. This, in effect, is the cut-off date for EU citizens moving to the UK.

Those who are yet to be granted permanent residency in the UK will have their rights protected, so they can still acquire it after withdrawal.

The process for giving EU citizens residency rights in the UK will be under a new procedure, referred to as “settled status”.

Other winners at the British Book Awards included Philip Pullman, who was named author of the year for his “outstanding” success.

Gail Honeyman won book of the year for her best-selling debut Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Judges said it was “brilliantly written” and “the complete package”.

The novel, which was the second biggest-selling debut of 2017, won the debut book of the year award and then beat six other category winners to be named overall book of the year.

The winners across the seven categories for author of the year were:

The judges of the British Book Awards, organised by The Bookseller, could not choose between two books in the children’s category – and named them as joint winners.

Young adult novel The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, tells the story of a 16-year-old drawn to activism after witnessing the police shooting of her unarmed friend.