Instituted in 1973, the Golden Kite Awards are the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers. More than 1,000 books are entered each year. The Golden Kite Awards recognize excellence in children’s literature in seven categories: Young Reader and Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Nonfiction Text for Younger Readers, Nonfiction Text for Older Readers, Picture Book Text, Picture Book Illustration, and Illustration for Older Readers. The winner in each category will receive $2,500 plus an additional $1,000 to donate to a nonprofit organization of their choice. Each honor winner will receive $500 plus an additional $250 to donate. SCBWI reserves the right not to confer this award in any given year.
Deadline to submit is December 15, 2023.
The Golden Kite Awards Ceremony for books published in 2023 will take place online on Friday, February 23, 2024 from 4pm-5:30pm PACIFIC time.
You may apply as an author, illustrator, or translator of a book published in 2023. You must be a current member through December 2023 to have a book submitted to the Golden Kite Awards.
Only books written or translated into English are accepted.
Books must be published by PAL publishers.
Please submit FOUR copies of your book. All submissions MUST BE in completed, bound form. NO GALLEYS.
Categories include:
Picture Book Text
Picture Book Illustration
Illustrated Books for Older Readers (includes graphic novels, fiction, and nonfiction for middle grade and young adult illustrated books)
Middle Grade
Young Adult
Nonfiction Text for Younger Readers
Nonfiction Text for Older Readers
You may submit your book to ONE category only, except in the case of Picture Book Text, Picture Book Illustration, and Illustrated Books for Older Readers. For example, you may submit to Illustrated Books for Older Readers for the illustrator, and the same book can be submitted for the Middle Grade award for the author. However, both the author and the illustrator must be current members. If you are mailing these entries to the SCBWI office, please submit EIGHT copies of the book.
The book submitted must be published in 2023.
Individuals and publishers can submit for the Golden Kites.
Self-published books are not eligible, however, you may enter your book in the Spark Award.
One Golden Kite Award Winner and Honor book will be chosen per category. Winning books will be included in a press release and an announcement on the SCBWI website and social and will receive gold stickers for their books.
Although SCBWI Board members are eligible to enter their books in the Golden Kite, the board members have decided that should any of them win, they will donate the prize money to a nonprofit organization of their choice.
Winners will be announced at the Golden Kite Awards Ceremony on February 23, 2024.
Guidelines for publishers will be emailed directly. Individuals, please mail four copies of each book (four per category) to: SCBWI 6363 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 114 Los Angeles, CA 90048 Questions? Please email Golden Kite Coordinator Bonnie Bader at bonniebader@scbwi.org.