The 2019 CODE Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Young Adult Literature - Now receiving submissions!

DEADLINE : August 30, 2019

A literary award and literacy initiative like no other

The CODE Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Young Adult Literature is a Canadian literary award and readership initiative that recognizes excellence in Indigenous-authored literature for young adults (ages 12-18). With the generous support of the Consecon Foundation (formally the Literary Prizes Foundation) and generous CODE supporters, the CODE Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Young Adult Literature is given to literary works for youth created by First Nation, Inuit, and Métis writers, illustrators, and translators.

This year, we are pleased to announce that, in addition to the English language awards, we are also accepting books written in any Indigenous language from Canada, written for youth (including graphic novels, short story and poetry collections by a single author, hi/lo novels, creative non-fiction, and young adult novels). This is the first ever Canadian Indigenous-language Young Adult Literature award. The submissions in Indigenous languages must be accompanied by an English-language translation (published or unpublished). These YA books will be adjudicated following the criteria described in the submission guidelines. We are not accepting children’s picture books or non-fiction.

An English-language and an Indigenous-language YA book will be selected as winners. The winning titles will each be awarded a prize of $6,000.00 CAD. An English-language YA Honour book will receive $3,000.00 CAD. Publishers of English-language winning titles (including the Honour book) will be granted a guaranteed purchase of up to 2,500 copies. The publisher of the Indigenous language books will be granted a guaranteed purchase appropriate to the size of the language community, but not greater than 2,500 copies. The titles will be distributed to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth in schools, libraries, friendship centres, literacy and learning programs, and community centers across Canada

Eligible books in English must be published between Febuary 15 and April 30, 2019, eligible books in Indigenous language must be pulished between January 1st, 2014 and April 30, 2019. All books must be submitted, by publishers, to National Reading Campaign befoprs August 30, 2019.

For details and application forms, please visit burtawards.org or nationalreadingcampaign.ca or contact Lynn O’Rourke, Program Manager, Literary Awards & Publishing at 613-232-3569 x 244 or by email at LORourke@code.ngo.

Download Guidelines for Submission

Download Indigenous Language category submission form

Download English Language category submission form

About CODE

If you can read and write, you can learn to do, and be, anything. That’s the idea behind CODE. A Canadian NGO with over 55 years of experience, CODE advances literacy and learning in Canada and around the world. CODE’s international programs encourage development through education through support to libraries, professional development for teachers, as well as national and local book publishing in over 20 languages.

www.codecan.org