CODE — a remarkable Canadian organization that promotes "self-sufficiency through literacy in the developing world" — has announced the creation of a new literary award: the Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature. The award was established by CODE with philanthropist William Burt, the Literary Prizes Foundation, the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the National Association of Friendship Centres, the Association of Canadian Publishers and the Canada Council for the Arts. The annual award will "recognize excellence in Indigenous-authored literature for youth and provide engaging and culturally-relevant books for young people across Canada."
From our friends at CODE:
[The Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature] will be given annually to three English-language literary works for young adults (aged 12 through 18) by First Nations, Métis or Inuit authors or translators (if applicable). The Canada Council for the Arts will be responsible for establishing the selection criteria and administering the jury process. A First prize of $12,000, a Second Prize of $8,000 and a Third Prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the authors and translators of the winning titles. Winning publishers will participate in a guaranteed book purchase and distribution program in which CODE commits to purchasing a minimum of 2500 copies of each title at a bulk discount for distribution to schools, libraries, and Friendship Centres that serve First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth across Canada.
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How to Get Involved
The inaugural Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature will formally launch in September 2012. Publishers operating in Canada will be asked to submit English works of prose fiction or non-fiction written by First Nations, Métis or Inuit authors. Published books and unpublished manuscripts will be eligible. In the case of published entries, they must have been published between May 1, 2010 and April 30, 2013. (In subsequent years, books published in the previous 12 months only will be eligible for the Burt Award.)
The deadline for submissions for the inaugural Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature will be May 1, 2013. Winning titles will be announced in September 2013 to coincide with festivities related to International Literacy Day. Eligible titles will be examined by a peer assessment committee organized by the Canada Council for the Arts. Winning titles will be selected according to their literary and artistic excellence and their capacity to engage and entertain young First Nations, Métis and Inuit readers.
Follow CODE on Facebook and visit their website, www.codecan.org.
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