Emerging Voices Award

The SCBWI On-The-Verge Emerging Voices Award was created in 2012 to foster the emergence of diverse voices in children’s books. It's given to any writer or illustrator from an ethnic and/or cultural background that underrepresented in American literature.

Martin and Sue Schmitt of the 455 Foundation provided the funding for this generous grant. Each winner receives an all-expenses paid trip to the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York to meet with editors and agents, a press release to publishers, a year of free membership to SCBWI, and an SCBWI mentor for a year.

The award this year went to Mary Louise Sanchez, Alex Brown, and Sandra Headen, PhD.
Learn more about their projects on the SCBWI blog.

Sandra Headen

Mary Louise Sanchez

Alex Brown