SCBWI SA Cape Town: Crystal Kite Awards

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Crystal Kite Award Winner in the Africa Region

The SCBWI is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural 2011 Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards.
The Crystal Kite Awards are given by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators to recognize great books from the 70 SCBWI regions around the world. Along with the SCBWI Golden Kite Awards, the Crystal Kite Awards are chosen by other children’s book writers and illustrators, making them the only peer-given awards in publishing for young readers.

Congratulations to Maja Sereda and William Gumede

Their book Kite's Flight is the winner for the African region and was published by Jacana Media Publishers http://www.jacana.co.za/about-jacana

Please click on links below for more information about Maja (an SCBWI member)

http://www.scbwi.org/MemberProfile.aspx?u=2938994339415732

Maja’s blog: http://catching-rabbits.blogspot.com/2010/07/kites-flight.html

Please click on link below for more information about the other SCBWI Golden Kite Awards winners!

http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Current-News?2011-SCBWI-Crystal-Kite-Awards-Announced-

About the Crystal Kite Awards
The SCBWI launched the Crystal Kite Awards to recognize great books from the 70 SCBWI regions around the world. Each regional chapter was assigned to one of 15 divisions and the membership in each division voted for their favourite book published by an SCBWI member that year.
SCBWI President Stephen Mooser explains that, “In a time when marketing budgets are being scaled back by publishers these awards were established to create a way for more of our members to receive national recognition for their books.”
The Crystal Kite Awards are a regional spin-off of the annual SCBWI Golden Kite Award given in 4 categories for excellence in children’s literature. Both awards are unique as they are chosen by other writers and illustrators, making them the only peer-given awards in publishing for young readers.
Lin Oliver, SCBWI Executive Director added, “We are so pleased to be able to offer an award that helps to promote regional diversity in the field of children’s books,” She continued, “It is our goal to help each of our published members find ways to promote and market their work through a variety of programs, resources and awards.”

Become a member

Membership in the SCBWI is open to anyone with an active interest in children’s literature or media. We welcome aspiring and published writers and illustrators, librarians, educators, artists, students, dramatists, musicians, filmmakers, and others. A passion for children’s literature is our #1 criterion. Dues are US$75 for the first year and US$60 each renewing year. Full Membership Open to those whose books, articles, poems, stories, illustrations, photographs, films, television or electronic media for children have been commercially published or produced. Professional editors, agents, and publishers are also included in this category. Associate Membership Open to unpublished writers and illustrators of children’s literature or media, and those with a general enthusiasm for the field. Writers or illustrators who have been published in markets other than children's literature (but not in children's literature) would be considered Associate Members.

About SCBWI (International)

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, formed in 1971 by a group of Los Angeles based writers for children, is the only international organization to offer a variety of services to people who write, illustrate, or share a vital interest in children’s literature. The SCBWI acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others involved with literature for young people. There are currently more than 19,000 members worldwide, in over 70 regions, making it the largest children's writing organization in the world

Aims of SCBWI

To create opportunities for writers & illustrators of children’s books to learn and become well-informed about the industry we work in, locally and internationally.
To provide opportunities for writers & illustrators to communicate regularly with peers, to compare notes and not only to work in creative isolation. To share with and to learn from each other. In a sense, to create a community of children’s book writers and illustrators.
To stress and strategise with members around the importance of managing the workload in order to set aside time and energy specifically to pursue creative stimulation and to develop creativity and personal development.
To provide opportunities for members to compare notes about career planning and management (also to balance a contribution to educational work with freely creative work (trade books) without losing the creative spark).
To provide opportunities for members to make contact and to interact with established and successful children’s book writers and illustrators, local and foreign.