The illustrator from Sint-Eloois-Vijve near Waregem was awarded for her work in Narrative of the Shipwreck, a book by author Marijn Brouckaert. The story is a postcolonial shipwreck story, told from the perspective of a mussel. The jury especially praises the dynamics and strong visual language of the illustrations, which according to it are rooted in a tradition of Flemish expression.
With this international recognition, Astrid Verplancke continues in the footsteps of her uncle, illustrator Klaas Verplancke, who previously won several international prizes.