CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: 2024 CCBC Book Awards
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is now accepting submissions for its English-language children’s book awards. In total, seven prizes will be awarded. The submission deadline is March 15, 2024. If you click on the links below you will find submission and criteria information about each award. Please be sure to read all of the submission information and criteria for each of the awards, as it varies from award to award, and some of the criteria have changed from last year.
- TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award*
- Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
- Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
- Amy Mathers Teen Book Award
- Jean Little First-Novel Award
- David Booth Children’s and Youth Poetry Award
- Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy
Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction, and the final year for the prize being awarded. Considered one of Canada's most prestigious literary prizes, the award recognized and raised the profile of exceptional non-fiction for young readers. We are extremely grateful to the Fleck Family Foundation for their generous support of Canadian children’s book creators, publishers, young readers, and the CCBC over the last 25 years.
The submission deadline is March 15, 2024. Only works by Canadian authors and illustrators are eligible for submission. In the case of translations, the translator must also be Canadian. The award marked with an asterisk (*) is only open to Canadian publishers. With the exception of the David Booth Children’s and Youth Poetry Award, all books must be published between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023. Because the David Booth poetry prize is biennial, the publication date eligibility is from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023 (a two-year time frame).
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
In 2021, the CCBC reviewed its awards and its criteria to align with the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy approved by the CCBC board of directors. The award guidelines now contain updated and inclusive language. The result is an acknowledgment of the fact that the celebration of diversity is an equally significant element to achieving excellence. A work of excellence in Canadian children’s literature should also be successful in making people feel a sense of belonging in their communities.
The Canadian Children's Book Centre acknowledges that not all voices have been given the same opportunity or heard equally. To ensure voices and stories from underrepresented creators are not excluded, we strongly encourage publishers to include in their submissions works that reflect diverse voices, specifically those that are by and about Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC); Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and Agender, Two-Spirited, plus other identities and communities (LGBTQIA2+), as well as stories by and about individuals with different abilities. Finally, we also acknowledge this change is not the final stop but part of the journey to inclusion and the need to amplify underrepresented voices in Canadian children’s publishing.
Jury Selection and Composition
The CCBC staff will select jurors for each literature award from a national pool of individuals with demonstrated expertise in the critical assessment of literature for youth; in its commitment to the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the CCBC will endeavour to include as many jurors as possible for underrepresented groups.
Submission Fees
There is a $35 non-refundable fee for each title submitted to each of the CCBC book awards. Therefore, if, for example, you have a title that meets the criteria for three of the awards listed above and you would like it considered for all three awards, the submission fee for that particular title is $105 ($35 x 3). The fees will be used to offset administration costs, as well as costs associated with the presentation of the awards.
Submission fees are payable by cheque, credit card or online. If paying by cheque or credit card, please complete the submission fee form and mail it to the address at the bottom of the form. Alternatively, you can email the completed form to meghan@bookcentre.ca. To pay online, visit bookcentre.ca/submissionfees.
CCBC Membership
Please also consider becoming a member of the CCBC. Member support helps us to continue bringing attention to Canadian children’s books through our programs such as these book awards. Through your support, we can keep showing Canada, and the world, that Canadian children’s books are best.
Publisher and Creator Expectations Prior to Submission
- Publishers agree to pay the $35 non-refundable submission fee per title per award.
- If a book is shortlisted, the publisher, author and illustrator may be asked to participate in a series of events highlighting and promoting the shortlisted author and illustrator, in addition to the award celebration.
- The CCBC is unable to assume the costs for travel and accommodation. It is our hope that publishers will assist the award winner(s) with providing the resources for attending the in-person awards ceremony (should we be able to hold an in-person event) or for creating an acceptance speech video of appropriate quality should the creator(s) be unable to attend an in-person event.
- Publishers agree to prepare and encourage their authors and illustrators to participate in all reasonable publicity associated with the award(s): interviews, readings, appearances, etc.
- Publishers agree to spend an appropriate sum on media advertising the winning book (i.e., whatever your advertising budget allows). With respect to the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, the winning publisher agrees to use the $2,500 awarded to them to promote/advertise the winning title.
- Publishers with titles shortlisted or winning the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award agree to put the award seal on copies of their books. Seals will be provided to the publisher by the CCBC.
Title Submission Forms
You are required to complete an online title submission form for each title being submitted. Each award has its own specific form. The links below will direct you to the online form.
- TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award – Title Submission Form
- Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award – Title Submission Form
- Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People – Title Submission Form
- Amy Mathers Teen Book Award – Title Submission Form
- Jean Little First-Novel Award – Title Submission Form
- David Booth Children’s and Youth Poetry Award – Title Submission Form
- Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy – Title Submission Form
Accessible Formats
The title submission forms include a question about accessible formats. While these formats are not a requirement for submitting to the CCBC book awards, we would very much appreciate it if you could let us know if the title(s) is available in an accessible format and if so, which format(s).
How to Submit
Once you have completed the online title submission form(s), please follow up by emailing a final PDF of each title to meghan@bookcentre.ca. If you are paying the submission fee(s) by cheque or credit card, please mail the completed submission fee form to the address at the bottom of the form. Alternatively, you can email the completed form to meghan@bookcentre.ca. These fees can also be paid online at bookcentre.ca/submissionfees. Upon receipt of the submission(s), you will be sent instructions for where to send the physical books, as well as the quantity required. Please do not send any books to the CCBC’s office.
Books submitted that do not meet the eligibility requirements and criteria will not be considered and will not be returned, nor will the non-refundable submission fee.
Submission Deadline
The submission deadline for the English-language awards is March 15, 2024. If you have any questions about eligibility or the awards in general, please contact Meghan Howe at 416.975.0010 ext. 3 or meghan@bookcentre.ca.
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