The Children’s Book Council, the nonprofit trade association for children’s publishers in North America, has announced the launch of the CBC Diversity Outstanding Achievement Awards program. Beginning this fall, the awards will be given annually in recognition of children’s publishing professionals who have helped bring greater diversity to the creation of books for young readers and to the industry’s employment methods.
Qualifications for the award include the publishing and marketing of inclusive books; fostering diversity in hiring and mentoring practices; and contributing to initiatives that promote public awareness of the importance of diverse stories.
Shifa Kapadwala, publicity manager at the CBC, told PW, “The children’s publishing industry is filled with many passionate people working hard to make this industry more reflective of the diversity of our world. With these awards we want to recognize and thank the individuals within publishing who have made or are making significant contributions to increase inclusivity, as well as inspire and support others in their own work to move diversity forward in all ways.”
Employees of any children's publishing house will be invited to nominate individuals for the awards from July 30 to August 17. Nominations will be reviewed by members of the CBC Diversity Committee, which will choose three to five winners to be announced at the CBC annual meeting on September 27 in New York City. The award winners will have the opportunity to select an organization of their choice to receive $1,000 worth of children’s books in their name.
