Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
あじあ・たいへいようけい あめりかじん ぶんがくしょう
APALA's annual literature award that honors books related to Asian/Pacific Americans.
Adult FictionAdult NonfictionChildren's literatureYoung Adult LiteraturePicture Book
- Established
- 0
- Organizer
- Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
- Category
- Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Announcement Period
- around January
- Status
- Active
Description
The Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature (APAAL) is a literary award presented annually by the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), targeting books written in English and published for the general public in the US that deal with the history and culture of Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, selecting winners by category (adult fiction and nonfiction, children's literature, young adult, picture books, etc.). Authors do not need to be Asian; U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is an entry requirement.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Honor and recognition (winners receive commendation from APALA and promotion of their works). No officially designated cash prize is specified.
- Promotion on APALA official website and announcements
- Increased book visibility from winning the award
- Certificate of commendation
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submission and nomination acceptance | Reception confirmation by APALA secretariat (based on guidelines) | — | Candidate reception conducted according to application requirements |
| Preliminary screening | APALA Selection Committee (panel of librarians and field experts) | — | Shortlisting of nominated works conducted within the committee |
| Final selection and winner determination | Selection committee chair and committee members | — | Winning works announced on APALA official website and press releases |
Submission and nomination acceptance
Judges
Reception confirmation by APALA secretariat (based on guidelines)
Announcement
Candidate reception conducted according to application requirements
Preliminary screening
Judges
APALA Selection Committee (panel of librarians and field experts)
Announcement
Shortlisting of nominated works conducted within the committee
Final selection and winner determination
Judges
Selection committee chair and committee members
Announcement
Winning works announced on APALA official website and press releases
Criteria
- The work's theme relates to the history and culture of Asian/Pacific Americans
- Written in English and released for general sale in the US
- Author is a US citizen or permanent resident (entry requirement)
- Literary and artistic quality (writing skill, structure, expression, accurate research, etc.)
- For children's works, harmony between text and illustrations and suitability for target age
Application Tips
Dos
- APALAの応募要項（Literature Award Guidelines）を事前に熟読する
- 作品がアジア／太平洋系アメリカ人の歴史・文化に関する内容であることを明確に示す
- 著者の資格（米国市民または永住者）や出版情報（出版日・出版社）を正確に記載する
- 定められた締切・提出形式（冊数、電子/紙など）を守る
- 審査用の要旨や推薦文、必要書類を揃えて提出する
Don''ts
- 非英語作品や米国外のみで出版された作品を提出しない
- 応募要件を満たさない作品を誤って提出しない（資格情報の不備など）
- 提出資料の形式や枚数を無視しない
From Judges
- 文化的誠実性（authenticity）とリサーチの正確さを重視する
- 文章表現と構成の明瞭さ、対象読者への配慮が評価される
- 児童書や絵本では文章とイラストの調和が重要視される
Related Awards
- Pura Belpré Award
- ALA Youth Media Awards
- Coretta Scott King Award
- PEN America Literary Awards
Official Resources
https://www.apalaweb.org/awards/literature-awards/Past Winners
Dur E Aziz Amna
Winner
Jay Caspian Kang
Winner
Harmony Becker
Winner
Lisa Yee
Winner
Kao Kalia Yang
Winner
Devi Laskar
Winner
Gordon H. Chang
Winner
Teresa Robeson
Winner
George Takei
Winner
Justin Eisinger
Winner
Steven Scott
Winner
Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint
Winner
Sharmila Sen
Winner
Kelly Yang
Winner
Minh Lê
Winner
Adib Khorram
Winner
Vanessa Hua
Winner
Barbara Oyama Kawakami
Winner
Erin Entrada Kelly
Winner
Hyewon Yum
Winner
Stacey Heather Lee
Winner
Celeste Ng
Winner
Robert Ji-Song Ku
Winner
Matt Faulkner
Winner
Chieri Uegaki
Winner
Qin Leng
Winner
May-lee Chai
Winner
Ruth Ozeki
Winner
Cindy I-Fen Cheng
Winner
Cynthia Kadohata
Winner
Ji-li Jiang
Winner
Leza Lowitz
Winner
Shogo Oketani
Winner
Amy Waldman
Winner
Ying-Ying Chang
Winner
Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Winner
Ed Young
Winner
Holly Thompson
Winner
Karen Tei Yamashita
Winner
Erika Lee
Winner
Judith "Judy" Yung
Winner
Margi Preus
Winner
Ann Malaspina
Winner
N. H. Senzai
Winner