Tapestry of Voices: Equity and Inclusion Awards

SUBMISSION WINDOW OPEN JULY 15 – SEPTEMBER 1

The Tapestry Voices team from the SF/North and East Bay chapter of SCBWI is pleased to announce the 2025 Equity & Inclusion (EQI) awards will be open for submissions from July 15 to September 1, 2025. With these awards, we continue to seek increased diversity in children’s literature, both in terms of content creators and the content itself.

We invite writers and illustrators (members and non-members), especially with backgrounds and experiences currently underrepresented in our industry, as well as content in all categories that accurately and positively reflects the diversity of the world.

We aim to award up to two creators, one for writing and one for illustrating (up to 6 awards total), in the following two categories:

• CONTENT: TOV Content Award - to encourage creators of ALL backgrounds and experiences to create content that accurately and positively reflects the diversity of the world
• CREATOR: TOV Creator Award - to invite creators with backgrounds and experiences currently underrepresented in our industry into our organization and community

The EQI awards are open to both current SCBWI members and non-members from our region.*

Winners will be announced in October and will receive free membership to SCBWI for one year and one free regional conference or intensive.  

Applications: Writers may submit up to ten pages of work of a picture book, middle grade book, or young adult book manuscripts. Illustrators may submit 3-5 digital pieces in their portfolio. Please submit to ONE category only.

Further submission guidelines will be posted shortly.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

The EQI Awards were established to promote inclusion and bring the conference experience to applicants of any underrepresented group in children’s publishing including, but not limited to, those marginalized due to race/ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship, and religion.

* We continue to seek increased diversity in children’s literature, both in terms of content creators and the content itself. Submissions are welcome for both existing San Francisco North and East Bay SCBWI members, and non-members from the counties our region serves (Marin, Sonoma, Solano, Napa, Contra Costa, Mendocino, and Alameda counties).