THE WHIPPOORWILL AWARD
an award for rural young adult and middle grades literature
The Whippoorwill Award will be given annually to the ten most distinguished rural young adult and middle grade books published in English during the preceding year. The setting should be rural and the piece must be an original work.
Book submissions can come from publishers in any country and the books can be set in any country or place, as long as the book deals with rural people and places, as described in the criteria below. We seek and accept books depicting a wide range “rural” settings, including small towns, agricultural settings, remote island life, Appalachian communities, bayous, Indigenous communities, borderland towns, stories of rural out-migration and more. All types of narratives are accepted including realistic fiction, fantasy, magical realism, graphic novels, memoir, historical fiction, novels in verse, and hybrid-genre novels.
In identifying a book that presents a distinguished representation of rurality, the following criteria will be considered:
Book submissions can come from publishers in any country and the books can be set in any country or place, as long as the book deals with rural people and places, as described in the criteria below. We seek and accept books depicting a wide range “rural” settings, including small towns, agricultural settings, remote island life, Appalachian communities, bayous, Indigenous communities, borderland towns, stories of rural out-migration and more. All types of narratives are accepted including realistic fiction, fantasy, magical realism, graphic novels, memoir, historical fiction, novels in verse, and hybrid-genre novels.
In identifying a book that presents a distinguished representation of rurality, the following criteria will be considered:
- Meets general criteria for excellence in young adult literature in its genre:
- Addresses universal truths, problems, topics, or issues
- Leaves a lasting impression; has an enduring quality
- Utilizes interesting and unique language, style, and/or word play
- Writing is appropriate for a young adult audience of ages 12-18
- Portrays the value of rural spaces, knowledge, cultures, and histories.
- Represents the reality of rural places without overly romanticizing or denigrating a place
- Portrays characters and settings accurately and authentically in terms of physical characteristics, social and economic statuses, intellectual abilities, and other human attributes
- Presents in-depth treatment of issues related to rurality, rural sustainability, and/or rural concerns
- Avoids stereotypes of rural people and places by representing the complexities of the situation, problem, and/or people.
- Contributes to the body of diverse YA literature by providing representations of diverse people and places.