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 International Literary Awards

Aesop Accolade Prize and Aesop Accolades recognize annually exceptional books, for children or young adults, that are based on folklore, published in the previous two years. The folklore must be accurately presented in the text and illustrations and add to the reader’s understanding of folklore. The books must be in English language, or in English and other language are also eligible. Winners are announced at the annual meeting of the American Folklore Society each October. The Prize was first awarded in 1992, and the Accolades in 1993.

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Judy Goldman

Ala Delta Premio de Literatura Infantil (Ala Delta Children’s Literature Prize). Edelvives Publishing Company of Spain issued it in 1988. Writers of any nationality participate with works written in Spanish or in the autonomic languages of Spain. Is endowed with Euros $14,500 and the work is published in Ala Delta Collection of Edelvives Group.

2. Ala Delta Premio de Literatura Infant

Mónica Rodríguez

3. Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava.

Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB) is one of the oldest international honours for children’s book illustrators. First granted in 1967, is one of the more prestigious awards today. Artists are selected by an international jury, and their original artwork is exhibited in Bratislava, Slovakia. BIB is held under the auspices of UNESCO and the International Board on Books for Young People IBBY and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Slovakia. There are eleven awards and a grand prize for unique and outstanding illustration: 1 Grand Prix, 5 Golden Apples, 5 Plaques, and 1 Honorary Mention Certificate to Publisher.

 Irma Bastida – Libros para Imaginar

Book Bank of Venezuela is a nonprofit organization founded in Venezuela, in 1960. It started as a textbook exchange center, grew and expanded to promote reading of children’s and young adult literature. The prize started in 1980 and is granted to the best books published in Spain and Latin America. The winner books are exhibited in their headquarters.

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Antonio Malpica, Verónica Murguía

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Certamen Internacional de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil FOEM (International Contest of Children’s and Young Adult Literature - Editorial Fund of the State of Mexico FOEM). The government, and the Secretariat of Culture and Sports of the State of Mexico grant this prize since 2017. Writers of any nationality can participate with an unpublished story in two categories for children (6-12 years) and for young readers (13-18 years). The prize is endowed with $150,000 pesos (USD $7,500 dollars) and the winning work is published by FOEM.

Judy Goldman

El Barco de Vapor and Gran Angular Prizes of Fundación SM created in Spain, in 1978. Fundación SM in Spain and Latin America enlists every year authors of Children’s and Young Adult Literature to publish high quality works and encourage reading that transmit human, social and cultural values collaborating to build a better world. The name El Barco de Vapor refers to the adventures of Tom Sawyer for children and Gran Angular to the wide life perspective that young adults have. The works awarded with the prizes have SM as guarantor and are part of its prestigious catalogue that is a reference in the world of Spanish Children’s and YA Literature.

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Antonio Malpica, Gonzalo Moure,Verónica Murguía, Monique Zepeda

Premio Fundación Cuatrogatos y Lista de Libros Recomendados (Fundación Cuatro Gatos Prize and Recommended Book List) was created in 2014 to promote reading of highquality books written and illustrated by Latin American and Spanish authors. Each year after reading, analyzing, and discussing a wide sample of fiction books for children and young adults, published by small and big publishers in Latin America, Spain and United States, the reading committee selects 20 winner titles and another 100 titles highly recommended for their literary values to be broadcasted and reach an increasing number of schools, libraries, and homes.

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Libros para Imaginar, Judy Goldman, Antonio Malpica, Gonzalo Moure, Verónica Murguía, Mónica Rodríguez, Christel Guczka

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IBBY Honour List is a biennial selection of outstanding, recently published books, honouring writers, illustrators, and translators from IBBY member countries. IBBY's objective is to encourage international understanding through children's literature. The titles are selected by the National Sections that nominate one book for each of the three categories. The Honor List diplomas are presented at the IBBY Congresses where the catalogue is introduced, and the books are shown for the first time. Thereafter seven parallel sets of the books circulate around the world at exhibitions during conferences and book fairs.

Gonzalo Moure, Verónica Murguía, Juan Villoro

International Latino Book Awards (ILBA) recognizes each year the best achievements in Spanish and Portuguese literature in the United States. Is granted by Latino Literacy Now, an organization co-founded by Edward James Olmos, Kirk Whisler and REFORMA (the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking), affiliated to the ALA (American Library Association). Since 1997, are announced annually at BookExpo America, the largest publishing trade show in the United States. There are 97 categories that include books published in English and Spanish, written by Latino/Hispanic/Chicano authors currently living in USA.

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Judy Goldman, Christel Guczka

Norma Premio de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil (Norma Children’s and Young Adult Literature Prize) encourages Spanish and Portuguese writers to create stories for children and young adults. This prize is focused in expanding the fantastic and realistic tales’ horizon, broaden reader’s cultural tradition, and stimulate the joy for reading. It started in 1996 in Editorial Norma Colombia and now runs in all Latin America. It is endowed with USD $15,000 dollars and the winner work is published by Norma Publishing Company.

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Antonio Malpica

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Premio Alandar (Alandar Prize). Is one of the most prestigious prizes in Spain for young adult literature, mainly novels. Issued by Editorial Luis Vives (Edelvives) was created in 2001 and runs every year. It stimulates authors to create good works for 12-year-old readers, to enhance reading for pleasure, help them expand their vision and contact with the real world, giving them clues to interpret it. It is endowed with Euros $14,500 and the winning work is published by Edelvives Group.

Mónica Rodríguez

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Premio Casa de las Américas, Cuba (Casa de las Américas Prize, Cuba) is awarded annually by Casa de las Americas of La Habana, Cuba, since 1960. Originally was the Hispano-American Literary Contest (1960), then the Latin American Literary Contest (1964), and finally received its current name (1965). The prize has different categories: poetry, stories, novel, plays, and essay. In 1975 children and young adult literature category was included. It is endowed with USD $3,000 and the winning book is published by Casa de las Américas.

Luis Pescetti

Premio Cervantes Chico (Little Cervantes Prize) distinguishes every year one Spanish language author with an outstanding career in children’s and young adult literature. To nominate the candidates, the selection standards are literary merits, popularity, and the educational and pedagogical use of the books. The prize is organized by the City Council of Alcalá de Henares, Spain. The winner receives a diploma, statuette in a public ceremony that broadcasts and promotes the author and his/her work among children and young people in Spain.

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Mónica Rodríguez, Gonzalo Moure

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Premios Grammy Latino (Latin Grammy Awards) are granted by the Latin Recording Academy of Arts and Science. It acknowledges the artistic and technical excellency of recorded music by voting among peers the music performed in Spanish and Portuguese. It started in 2000 in the United Stated by CBS network. The winners get the Musical Excellence Prize statuette of a copper gramophone.

Luis Pescetti

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Premio Iberoamericano de Fundación SM (Ibero-American SM Children’s and Young Adult Prize) is called by the prize association formed by four international cultural institutions: the Centro Regional para el Fomento del Libro en América Latina (CERLALC), the Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI), the International Board on Books of Young People (IBBY) and the United Nations Office for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) with support of the International Book Fair of Guadalajara where the prize is awarded. It started in 2005, the Ibero-American Year of Reading, to promote the children’s and young adult literature in all the countries of Ibero-America. The winner receives USD $30,000 dollars. The candidates must be living authors whose published work is valuable for children and young readers written in all the languages of Ibero-America. The candidates are presented by any educational or cultural institution, publishing company or association related to children’s literature. It is endowed with USD $30,000 dollars.

Antonio Malpica

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Rattenfänger Literaturpreis created in 1986, is granted every two years by the City of Hamelin, Germany to the fairy tales, art fairy tales, legends, or medieval story books for children and young people. The prize is endowed with Euros $5,000 and can be awarded to authors, illustrators, translators, and editors.

Verónica Murguía

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Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz International Literary Prize started in 1993 and is given annually. It acknowledges the literary work of Hispanic women with novels originally published in Spanish. It is endowed with USD $10,000 dollars and the work is published by the Editorial Fund of the State of Mexico (FOEM). Was issued by the female author Milagros Palma from Nicaragua to be granted at the International Symposium of Literary Criticism and Women Writing in Latin America in Guadalajara’s International Book Fair. After the first year, the prize if part of Guadalajara Book Fair’s program.

Gabriela Peyron

White Ravens List. Each year the language specialists at the International Youth Library (IYL), in Munich, Germany, select newly published books from around the world that they consider to be especially noteworthy. The list with 250 books is compiled into the annual White Ravens Catalogue, which is introduced each year at the Bologna (Italy) Children’s Book Fair, which includes all titles from 1993 up to 2020. The White Raven label is given to books that deserve worldwide attention because of their universal themes and/or their exceptional and often innovative artistic and literary style and design. The titles are drawn from the books that the International Younth Library receives as review or donation copies from publishers and organizations around the world.

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Antonio Malpica, Verónica Murguía, Monique Zepeda, Mónica Rodríguez, Luis Pescetti

National Literary Prizes 

19. Premio Por Un Grito de Vida - Editor

Concurso de Cuento Infantil y Juvenil “Por un Grito de Vida” (“A Cry of Life” Children´s and Young Adult Story Contest) is called by the Health Secretariat in Mexico and Editorial Porrúa, México. Its aim is to prevent cancer, informing children (6 to 18 years) the signs and symptoms of this disease. Mexican and foreign writers may participate. It started in 2014. The prize in endowed with $50,000, $30,000, and $20,000 pesos for the first, second, and third winner and the works are published by Editorial Porrúa.

Christel Guczka

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Premio al Arte Editorial CANIEM (Editorial Art Prize of the National Chamber of the Mexican Editorial Industry-CANIEM) is a selection of the best books and magazines published in Mexico each year. Only editors, members of CANIEM, can participate with 12 books limit, published in Mexico or abroad between October to September of each year with the ISBN registered in Mexico. The book section has ten categories that include children´s and young adult of printed, digital, and audio books formats. The jury evaluates: concept, editorial design, and editorial production. The winners receive a diploma in an official ceremony with the books exhibited.

Antonio Malpica, Monique Zepeda,
Judy Goldman, Luis Pescetti

Premio Anaya (Anaya Prize) aimed to stimulate the writing of literary works for children and young adults. Since 2002, Anaya Publishing company invites each year writers from Spain to participate with their works. One year is for children and the next for young readers. Anaya publishes the winning work and grants Euros $12,000 to the author.

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Mónica Rodríguez

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Premio Bellas Artes de Cuento Infantil Juan de la Cabada (Beauty Arts Children Story Juan de la Cabada Prize) is for Mexican or foreign writers that live in Mexico. It is given to unpublished story of free topic, written in Spanish or Mexican languages. The prize is called by the Secretariat of Culture of the State of Campeche, Mexico and the National Institute of Beauty Arts. The winner receives $200,000 pesos (USD $10,000 dollars). It was created in 1977 in the name of Juan de la Cabada, Mexican author of stories, novels, and plays, born in 1899 and died in 1986.

Verónica Murguía, Gabriela Peyron

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Premio Destacados de Alija (Outstanding ALIJA Prize) are well known prizes in Latin America. ALIJA is the Argentinian Association of Children’s and Young Adult Books, IBBY office in Argentina. The works are selected by a five member’s jury that changes every year and rewards the best Argentinian books for children and young adults, in different categories. It was created in 1998 and runs up to date. To select the winner, the jury considers children’s evaluation of the books they liked the most during the year.

Luis Pescetti

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Premio FILIJ de Cuento para Niños y Jóvenes (International Children’s and Young Adult Book Fair Story Prize). The National Council of Arts and Culture (CONACULTA) granted it from 1993 till 2016 to Mexican and foreign authors living in Mexico, with work published, and experience in children´s and young adult literature. The authors could submited up to three stories. It was endowed with $20,000 pesos (USD $1,000 dollars) and the winning book was published in ebook format by the Publications General Directorate of the Council.

Gabriela Peyron

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Premio Leer es Vivir (Reading is Living Prize) issued by Editorial Everest in Spain. Was endowed with Euros $12,000 and the winning work was published by Everest publishing company. It started in 1996 to promote reading among children and young adults. Everest closed on 2013.

Mónica Rodríguez

Premio Nacional Narciso Mendoza de Poesía para Niños (Narcizo Mendoza National Children’s Poetry Prize) started in 2000 and is granted by the State of Morelos, Mexico and Penguin Random House Mexico to a children’s poetry book. The prize is endowed with $40,000 pesos (USD $2,000 dollars) and the winner work is published by Alfaguara Infantil.

Monique Zepeda

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