Submissions Now Being Accepted for the 2019 South Asia Book Award
Award Rationale
Each year an increasing number of high-quality children’s and young adult books are published that portray South Asia or South Asians living abroad. To encourage and commend authors and publishers who produce such books, and to provide librarians and teachers with recommendations for educational use, the South Asia National Outreach Consortium (SANOC) offers a yearly book award to call attention to outstanding works on South Asia.
Criteria
The committee will review works published in English, from early childhood to secondary reading levels. The culture, people or heritage of South Asia should be the primary focus of the text and accurately and skillfully portray South Asia, the experience of individuals living in South Asia, or of South Asians living in other parts of the world. The countries and islands that make up South Asia are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the region of Tibet. In determining the award, books will be judged for: 1) literary quality 2) cultural authenticity and 3) potential for classroom use.
Eligibility
The 2019 committee will consider books that fit the SABA criteria (see above) and have been published during the preceding year (between January 1 – December 31, 2018). Each title should have a publication date of 2018, is available for purchase in 2018 and has a copyright date no later than 2018. If a book is published prior to its year of copyright as listed in the book, it shall be considered in its year of copyright as indicated in the book. Consideration will be given to the ease with which teachers and librarians in the United States would be able to order multiple copies.
Submission Process
To nominate a title, publishers are invited to submit review copies to the award committee. Submission deadline is January 31, 2019. Please send one copy of the nominated book to each member of the South Asia Book Award Committee:
| Jennifer Burke 6548 Elmer Hill Road Rome, NY 13440 |
Sarah Sharp 8035 Winston Road Philadelphia, PA 19118 |
Rachel Weiss UW-Madison 1244 Van Hise Hall 1220 Linden Drive Madison, WI 53706 |
| Jess Meyer 1418 Cap Stone Ridge New Braunfels, TX 78130 |
Maryann Owen 4821 Wildlife Drive Mt. Pleasant, WI 53403 |
Emera Bridger Wilson South Asia Center 346 Eggers Hall Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 13244 |
| Nidhi Vij Mali 3397 Snow Park Lane West Apt 202 Memphis, TN 38119 |
Mary Hennessey 4548 Manitou Dr. Okemos, MI 48864-2111 |
The 2019 SABA Award winner, honor and highly commended books will be announced in June 2019.
For more information about the SABA award, visit: www.southasiabookaward.org.