SCBWI ILF Opens the Ann Whitford Paul Award, Plus Encouragement Fund Winners Announced

The Ann Whitford Paul and Writer’s Digest Most Promising Picture Book Manuscript Award is open for submissions, now through the end of April! The two winners—one for fiction, one for nonfiction—will each receive a $1,500 cash prize plus an additional $500 to help sell their book. Go to the award’s website for more information on how to apply.

And the 2025-2026 SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund Encouragement Fund Winners are…

Drum roll please! The SCBWI ILF is thrilled to announce that the three winners for the 2025-2026 cycle of the Encouragement Fund, generously funded by editor and agent Stephen Fraser, are:

• Kat Fajardo: Kat (she/they) is an award-winning cartoonist who loves creating playful and colorful works that celebrate self-acceptance and Latine culture. She is the creator of Miss Quinces and Miss Camper (Scholastic Graphix) and the artist for The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers). When she isn't making comics, you might find her collecting bugs, listening to spooky podcasts, or chasing after her sock-stealing pup, Roni. With support from the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund, Kat is bringing an original chapter book series to life, expanding on work she began at the Milkwood Residency, where she developed the early concept art and first chapter.
• David McMullin: David McMullin’s books include Free to Be Fabulous! (HarperCollins), and Rock’n’Roll Baby (Penguin/Random House). Honors include an SCBWI Ann Whitford Paul honor, an Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest honor, and a Madness Poetry championship. In past careers he was a Broadway actor, an educator, travel blogger, and a children’s librarian.
• Donna Gephart: Donna Gephart has been writing humorous/heartfelt novels since her first book, As If Being 12-3/4 Isn’t Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running For President, came out in 2008 and won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award. In addition to eight middle grade novels, Donna's written a picture book, Go Be Wonderful, and co-authored a new chapter book series with Lori Haskins Houran about a posh hotel run by dogs for dogs with a special guest arriving in each book — Welcome to the Woofmore. Donna plays Scrabble, borrows way too many library books, cooks vegan meals, hikes/bikes/jogs and pets dogs at her home in New Jersey.

For this cycle, we focused on children’s book creators working on humor projects. We're so excited for the laughs these three amazing children's book creators are sure to bring us throughout their careers. Congratulations to Kat, David, and Donna!

And to all of you who want to apply for the next cycle in Autumn 2026, stay tuned to this column for news about this year’s theme!