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​More time- Typhlo and Tactus competition postponed!

More time- Typhlo and Tactus competition postponed! An image from a tactile book of Jack and the Beanstalk. On the right hand page is a picture of Jackholfing a bag of gold coins, on the left hand page is the text in print and braille, some gold coins and large black giant's boots.

Due to the disruption caused by the covid-19 pandemic, the international judging round of the world-famous Typho and Tactus tactile book competition has been postponed. To give UK book designers the maximum time to work on their entries, we’ve decided to postpone the UK judging round too. The new deadline for books to arrive at ClearVision for judging is 28th February 2022. Download an Typhlo and Tactus entry form 2022. Here are the Typhlo and Tactus rules 2022


If you’ve already entered one or more books, don’t worry, you don’t have to resubmit them, they’ll be entered automatically on the new date. If you’d like to enter a second or subsequent book, you’re welcome to do so.

If you’re new to the contest or indeed the whole world of tactile books, entering the competition is a great way to get feedback on your creations. Tactile books are incredible books in which all the illustrations are specially designed to be explored by touch- though they can include sounds and smells too!- perfect for children with sight impairment. Anyone can make one. The judges will be looking for a robust and exciting book, suitable for children aged 12 or under with little or no sight.

Visit our Making Tactile Books webpage for the basics and see the videos below for advice on designing and constructing a tactile book.

Why not attend one of our free Zoom workshops to learn more? They are running at 8pm 17th January and 1st February 2022. They’re the same (so you only need to sign up for one!) and will run for one and a half to two hours. Signup for each closes three days before the class, email info@clearvisionproject.org to book a place.

Videos:
Tactile books: what they are and who they’re for

Designing a tactile book:

Making a tactile book: practicalities

The Typhlo and Tactus Tactile Book Competition-videos and deadline 16th August!

Tactile books are amazing things: they're books in which all the pictures are made up of different shapes and textures, specifically designed to be explored by touch. They let children who have little or no sight enjoy picture books just like sighted children do, and help them build up valuable touch skills which will be useful in all areas of their life, especially if they might learn braille.

They can be made of collage, fabric, 3D printing, plastic vacuum-formed round real objects, and in many other ways. For more about these brilliant books, check out our video here:

Tactile Books: What They Are And Who They're For

The Typhlo and Tactus International Tactile Book Competition is help every two years to encourage tactile book creation across the globe. This year is its 20th anniversary. Judging will take place in Brussels in October 2019, with a prize of 1000 Euros for the overall winner.

This brilliant contest is free to enter and open to anyone- whether it's their first try at making a tactile book or their twentieth! We've had wonderful entries in past years from parents, artists, teachers, stitching groups, crafters and students. The judges will be looking for books which are exciting and entertaining for children up to age 12 who have little or no sight, and are strong enough to take enthusiastic exploring by touch.

Here's our video about the competition

If you're interested in entering a book, the application form can be found here and the full rules here. Hurry though, the deadline for books to be at the ClearVision library is 16th August 2019. Up to five books will be selected and submitted to the international judging.

For more information on designing and making a tactile book, please see our videos: Designing a Tactile Book, and Making A Tactile Book: Practicalities:

Alternatively, visit our Making Tactile Books webpage.

You can find the competition's full rules here, the entry form here and the website of the Typhlo and Tactus competition, with information about previous winners, at www.tactus.org. If you have questions, please contact ClearVision on info@clearvisionproject.org or 020 8789 9575.

Typhlo and Tactus Competition 2019: Could You Design a Book?

Could you create a picture book for a child who can't see pictures?

Image of a page from a tactile book showing two fish in shells

Enjoying books is, for

most young children, an essential part of childhood. But what if you can't see? Tactile image books like those in ClearVision's collection are the solution for blind or partially sighted children, as every picture is designed to be explored by touch. Imagine putting out your hand to a page and actually feeling the rough bricks of a wall, the hairy nose of a camel, the slimy squish of a slug! These incredible books aren't commercially produced, but made by creative people from every walk of life.

Just as conventional picture books have their prestigious competitions, such as the UK's Kate Greenaway award, tactile illustration has the Typhlo and Tactus International Tactile Book Competition to encourage tactile book creation across the globe. This year is its 20th anniversary. Judging will take place in Brussels in October 2019, with a prize of 1000 Euros for the winning entry.

The fantastic news is that the competition is open to anyone. Previous entrants have included teachers, artists, crafters, grandparents and students. The judges will be looking for books which are interesting, robust and entertaining for children up to age 12 who have little or no sight.

Each participating country can submit up to five books to the international contest. The UK shortlisting round will take place in September 2019 and is being organised by the ClearVision Project. The UK judges will include children and adults who have a visual impairment, tactile image experts and illustrator Rod Campbell, author of immensely popular children's picture books including everyone’s favourite, Dear Zoo.

The winning book will need to be very appealing to blind children under the age of 12. It should be enjoyable, entertaining, have lots of tactile interest and be robust enough to withstand enthusiastic exploration. For more information on designing and making a tactile book, please visit our Making Tactile Books webpage. Videos on making tactile books will shortly be available on YouTube, and workshops will be held across the UK.

Image of a monkey from a tactile book

All entries will be returned to their owners after the competition unless they wish to donate them to the ClearVision library, to be enjoyed by children with vision impairment across the UK and Ireland.lots of tactile interest and be robust enough to withstand enthusiastic exploration. For more information on designing and making a tactile book, please visit our Making Tactile Books webpage. Videos on making tactile books will shortly be available on YouTube, and workshops will be held across the UK.

You can find the full rules here, the entry form here and the website of the Typhlo and Tactus competition, with information about previous winners, at www.tactus.org. If you have questions, please contact ClearVision on info@clearvisionproject.org or 020 8789 9575.

The closing date for UK entries is Friday 16th August


2017 International Typhlo & Tactus Competition Results

The judging of the Typhlo and Tactus competition has now taken place in Dijon. Eight judges from Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK examined seventy-one books from eighteen countries before selecting this year’s winner.

The winning book was An Unexpected Story by Valentina Lungo from Switzerland; there will be photos of this and other books shortly on the official Typhlo and Tactus website (www.tactus.org). In second place was Dens by Lucia and Ilaria Macchiatini from Italy. In joint third place were Captain Seo’s Sea Tale by Kiryl Konowalow and Patricia Zalejska from Poland, and Bouli and the Red Dragon by Christine Donze from Belgium.

In addition to the winning books, the judges each chose a book as their personal favourite, a ‘coup de coeur’ which they found particularly appealing. A UK entry, Wool by Samantha Treacy, was given a Coup de Coeur Award by the judge from The Netherlands. This lovely book has now been donated to the ClearVision library. Congratulations to Samantha Treacy and many thanks to everyone who entered the competition.

​Entries Now Closed for International Tactile Book Competition

The closing date to submit your entry to represent the UK in the 2017 Typhlo and Tactus International Tactile Book Competition has now passed. Thank you to all those who have entered, we have had a fantastic selection of entries and are currently shortlisting down to our final five that will be submitted to the international judging round.

Tactile books are a vital part of the ClearVision Library with illustrations that are designed to be read by touch and encourage the first stage of reading. Not only are these books great fun but they also help build up important touch skills such as finger strength and dexterity.

The competition itself is all about encouraging excellence and sharing expertise in the creation of tactile books from countries all around the world. This years competition is taking place in Dijon in France where tactile book entries from around the world will be judged on their level of tactile interest, robustness and level of appeal to blind children under the age of 12.

If you are interested in learning more about tactile books and would like to consider making your own then please visit our Making Tactile Books webpage and take a look at the photos of tactile books on our Facebook page. If you would like to follow the competition online then please visit the Tactus website: www.tactus.org and like us on Facebook.

If you have any further questions or would like a Tactile Book take to your group please contact us on 020 8789 9575 or by email at info@clearvisionproject.org.

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