The SCBWI is dedicated to fostering the emergence of diverse voices in children’s books. The SCBWI On-The-Verge Emerging Voices Award was established in 2012 with funding from Martin and Sue Schmitt of the 455 Foundation. The grant will be given to two writers or illustrators who are from an ethnic and/or cultural background that is traditionally under-represented in children’s literature in America.
Eligibility:
Any writer or writer/illustrator from an ethnic and/or cultural background that is traditionally under-represented in children’s literature in America.
(American Indian, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander)
The manuscript must be an original work written in English for young readers and may
not be under contract. The applicant must over 18, be unpublished and should not yet have representation.
Award:
Two writers or writer/illustrators will each receive an all-expense paid trip to the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York, a press release to publishers, a year of free membership to SCBWI, and an SCBWI mentor for a year.
Deadline:
Deadline for submission is November 15, 2013. The winners will be announced December 15, 2013 and the award presented at the 2014 SCBWI Winter Conference in New York.
Application Procedure:
All applications will be accepted via email only between September 15th and November
15th at [email protected] and must include the following:
In the body of the e-mail:
1. An autobiographical statement and career summary in less than 250 words.
2. Why your work will bring forward an underrepresented voice in less than 250 words.
3. A synopsis of your manuscript in less than 250 words.
Attached to the e-mail:
4. A PDF of your entire manuscript.
If the manuscript is not complete, it is not eligible.
When your work is published the author/illustrator should include in the acknowledgement “This book was made possible in part by a grant from SCBWI”
The 2012 On-The-Verge Emerging Voices Award Winners:
Mary Louise Sanchez
The Wind Called My Name – The story of a Hispanic
family in the 1930s in the Southwest.
Sandra Headen
Cato’s Last Home Run – A book about the historic Negro Baseball League.
Alex Brown
Astral – A science fiction novel written by a young bi-racial woman from Tennessee.
http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/On-The-Verge-Emerging-Voices-Award
