Created September 06, 2023 by Sarah Diamond
We are proud to announce the inaugural winners of two new SCBWI Awards: Somesh Kumar for the Graphic Novel Award, and Charlotte Sheer for the Novel-in-Verse Award.
The Graphic Novel Award was created for aspiring cartoonists with an excellent unpublished graphic novel. The award was judged by award-winning author-illustrators Mike Curato (Flamer, Little Elliot series) and Cece Bell (El Deafo, Rabbit & Robot).
Somesh Kumar won the award for Little by Little, a graphic memoir about a boy's changing relationship with his alcoholic father as the family moves from town to town in Bihar. Bell and Curato called the work "the full package: engaging storytelling, beautiful art, and a unique point of view."
The Novel-in-Verse Award was designed to give a boost to a talented poet with an unpublished novel-in-verse manuscript. This year's judge was the renowned author Ellen Hopkins, known for Crank, Burned, and the newly released What About Will.
Charlotte Sheer won for Tagged for Delivery, a historical middle grade graphic novel about the experience of a twelve-year-old Jewish girl who must flee 1930's Czechoslovakia through the kindertransport. Ellen Hopkins said of her choice: "The topic is fresh, especially within the middle grade space, and verse has been underutilized for historical fiction. Her writing is excellent. There were many very strong entries, but I felt this one rose to the top."