About the Awards
The Virginia Hamilton Conference Advisory Board offered several awards to recognize those who make contributions to the field of multicultural literature for youth.
The Virginia Hamilton Literary Award
Established in 1998 by the Advisory Board of Kent State University’s Virginia Hamilton Conference, this award recognized an American author or illustrator whose books demonstrate artistic excellence and made a significant contribution to the field of multicultural literature for children and adolescents. The award was conferred at the Virginia Hamilton Conference.
For further information, contact conference Chair, Mary Anne Nichols, M.L.S.
Previous Literary Award winners
The Virginia Hamilton Essay Award
Established in 1991, the Virginia Hamilton Essay Award recognized a journal article published in a given year which made a significant contribution to professional literature concerning multicultural literary experiences for youth. Members of the Virginia Hamilton Conference Advisory Board selected the winning essay from among those which were nominated.
For more information or nominations, contact conference Chair, Mary Anne Nichols, M.L.S.
The Virginia Hamilton and Arnold Adoff Creative Outreach Grants for Teachers and Librarians
The Virginia Hamilton and Arnold Adoff Creative Outreach Grants for Teachers and Librarians awarded two grants of up to $1,000 each. One grant was given to a teacher and another to a librarian for proposals to develop new classroom or library programs that raised awareness of multicultural literature among young people; particularly but not exclusively through the works of Virginia Hamilton.
Previous Creative Outreach Grant winners
The Arnold Adoff Poetry Awards
First awarded in 2016, the Arnold Adoff Poetry Awards sought to recognize excellence in multicultural poetry for youth, for readers at the primary level, middle level and teens. The awards also hoped to inspire a poet early in his or her career with the “New Voices” award. The purpose of the awards was to highlight the power of poetry, encourage publishers to publish works of poetry from a variety of perspectives, commend poets for various student populations, and encourage the reading of poetry. Four awards are announced yearly at the Virginia Hamilton Conference.
Award winners each received a check for $500, a certificate and an award, affectionately named the “Rudini” to honor Rudine Sims Bishop, professor emerita from The Ohio State University. An author, historian, and foremost expert on African American youth literature, she has been a tireless activist for more than 50 years in the struggles for diversity and excellence. Honor Award recipients receive a certificate.