Sharon Fitzhenry Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction
Eligibility, Guidelines & Fees
Updated: November 2024

Criteria

The Sharon Fitzhenry Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction honours excellence in Canadian children’s non-fiction books for Grades 4-12 (Ages 8-18). The celebration of diversity is an equally significant element to achieving excellence. A work of excellence in Canadian children’s literature should also be successful in helping people understand and appreciate diversity in their communities and the world around them. 

• Text should be of exceptional quality and present the subject matter in a way that both informs and excites interest. Visuals, also of an exceptional quality, should clarify, extend and complement the text.
• The winning entry will be based on an original subject or will explore a familiar subject in a new and interesting way.
• Research should be sound and the information contained in the book must be correct and current.
• Treatment of the material should be respectful of the subject and of the reader and be authentically portrayed.
• All nominated books should have good production values, with a visual design that presents the material in a clear and engaging manner.
• The award is for the book. The award will go to the author unless 40% or more of the text area is composed of original illustrations, in which case the award will be divided equally between author and illustrator.
• If the winning title is a translated work, the prize will be split 70% to the author and 30% to the translator. In the case of illustrated works, the prize would be split equally between the author and illustrator; the author will retain 70% of their portion with 30% being awarded to the translator.

Eligibility Requirements

• Books must be published between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
• Both the author and illustrator (if applicable) must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada (minimum two-year residency), or First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of the land that is now called Canada.
• No posthumous submissions.
• Books must be published in Canada. Books distributed to the Canadian market that are published by non-Canadian imprints are not eligible. They must be published under a Canadian imprint. 
• Books must be first Canadian editions. New editions or re-issues of previously published titles are not eligible for submission.
• Books must be in English.
• Translations are eligible, provided the translator is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada (minimum two-year residency), or First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of the land that is now called Canada.
• Books should be written for young people Grades 4-12 (Ages 8-18). Adult books are not eligible.
• Non-fiction books in the following categories are eligible: Culture and the Arts, Science, Biography, History, Geography, Reference, Sports, Activities and Pastimes.
• Non-fiction books in graphic novel format are eligible.
• The award is only for books in the printed format, as distinct from digital (i.e., eBooks) and audio-visual formats.
• Books in manuscript form are not eligible.
• All books must have an ISBN and be distributed in Canada.
• Self-published books are eligible for submission provided they have a valid ISBN.

Publisher and Creator Expectations

• Publishers agree to pay the $35 non-refundable submission fee per title per award.
• If a book is shortlisted, the publisher, author and illustrator may be asked to participate in a series of events highlighting and promoting the shortlisted author and illustrator, in addition to the award celebration.
• The CCBC is unable to assume the costs for travel and accommodation. It is our hope that publishers will assist the award winner(s) with providing the resources for attending the in-person awards ceremony (should we be able to hold an in-person event) or for creating an acceptance speech video of appropriate quality should the creator(s) be unable to attend an in-person event.
• Publishers agree to prepare and encourage their authors and illustrators to participate in all reasonable publicity associated with the award: interviews, readings, appearances, etc.
• Publishers agree to spend an appropriate sum on media advertising the winning book (i.e., whatever your advertising budget allows).

Submission Fees

There is a $35 non-refundable fee for each title submitted to each of the CCBC book awards. Therefore, if, for example, you have a title that is eligible for three of the awards and you would like it considered for all three awards, the submission fee for that particular title is $105 ($35 x 3). The fees will be used to offset administration costs, as well as costs associated with the presentation of the awards.