A New Mark of Excellence
for Writers of Children's Literature

The NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature is a new award intended to enhance the quality of children's literature by promoting writing that contributes to the quality of their lives. Made possible through the generosity of Nancy Barcelo, Susan Neustadt Schwartz, and Kathy Neustadt Hankin, this award is sponsored by World Literature Today and The University of Oklahoma. It will be awarded every other year to a living writer with significant achievement, either over a lifetime or in a particular publication. The essential criterion for awarding this prize is that the writer's work is having a positive impact on the quality of children's literature. The prize is intended to include all of literature written for children. It could be given for work that is illustrated, juvenile, young adult, etc. There is no limitation to a particular age group or type of children's literature. Each NSK Neustadt jury will narrow to areas of children's and young-adult literature principally through the author nominations it brings forward. All nominations will come from the jury members. No outside nominations will be accepted. A check for $25,000, a silver medallion, and a certificate will be presented to the laureate at a public ceremony at The University of Oklahoma every other year in odd-numbered years. To see the preliminary schedule for the fall 2009 Neustadt Festival, honoring Vera B. Williams as the winner of the 2009 NSK Prize and featuring the jury for the 2010 Neustadt Prize, click here.