The SCBWI is proud to announce the winner and honor recipient of the 2014 Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Award. Congratulations to winner Sanna Stanley, writer and illustrator of such beautiful books as Monkey for Sale (FSG, 1998) and Monkey Sunday (FSG, 2002). Sanna draws inspiration for her work from the time she spent as a child traveling to remote villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Learn more about Sanna Stanley.
One Honor Grant was also awarded to author Jane Mitchell. Jane is the co-founder of the SCBWI Ireland Chapter and its previous regional advisor. Jane is the author of When Stars Stop Spinning and Chalkline, and focuses on the rights of women and young girls around the globe in her writing. Learn more about Jane Mitchell.
This grant gives $3,000 to mid-list authors to honor their contribution and help raise awareness about their current works-in-progress. The grant was created and is generously funded by critically acclaimed children’s book author and one of the first SCBWI members, Jane Yolen.
Jane expressed her inspiration for this award: “It’s no longer front page news that publishing is changing. However, our ability to deliver story has changed more thoroughly these days than at any time since Guttenberg. Because of this, the mid-list authors are finding it harder and harder to find a traditional publisher to stick with them. It's not simply that their books aren't selling. . .for they backlist just fine. The problem is they are not mega-bestsellers on the front end. I know this because on many—indeed on most of my books—I am in the same boat.”
She continued, “Even well-known, mid-list authors are struggling. They lose editors, publishers, their books go out of print. So, I wanted to give back to my peers and that's how the Mid-list Award was born. It's not a great deal of money, but it's a love note of recognition. SCBWI and I are saying, ‘Please know that we love your books. We need your books. We remember your books. Don't quit. Write more.’"
To learn more about this award please visit the “Awards and Grants” section of our site.