Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young Readers

じぇふりー・びるそんしょう（わかいどくしゃむけれきししょうせつ）

An annual literary award for historical fiction for young readers in Canada. CCBC conducts the judging, and prize money is awarded to the winner.

Historical FictionChildren's literatureFor Young Readers

Established: 1988
Organizer: Canadian Children's Book Centre
Category: Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Selection Method: Selection
Target: Professional
Frequency: 1 per year
Status: Active

Description

The Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young Readers is a Canadian literary award given annually to the best historical fiction for young readers. Established in 1988, it is named after Geoffrey Bilson, a historical novelist and historian. Eligible entries are works by Canadian authors, typically published in the previous calendar year. Judging is conducted by a jury appointed by the Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC), and the winner receives CAD 1,000. It is one of the awards hosted by CCBC, alongside others such as the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, Norma Fleck Award, and TD Canadian Children's Literature Award.

Prize

Main Prize: Cash prize awarded to the winner (Canadian dollars)
Cash Prize: 1,000 CAD

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Application/Nomination Receipt	(Details unknown) Submissions may be made via publishers or authors. Submission rules are determined by CCBC	—	No special announcement is usually made (internal receipt)
First Round (Narrowing Down Candidates)	Evaluation of bibliographies and manuscripts by judges appointed by CCBC	—	Finalists (shortlist) or short candidate lists may be announced by CCBC or the press
Final Judging and Winner Selection	Decided by deliberation of the judging committee appointed by CCBC	—	The winner is announced by CCBC and related media

Application/Nomination Receipt

Judges (Details unknown) Submissions may be made via publishers or authors. Submission rules are determined by CCBC

Announcement No special announcement is usually made (internal receipt)

First Round (Narrowing Down Candidates)

Judges Evaluation of bibliographies and manuscripts by judges appointed by CCBC

Announcement Finalists (shortlist) or short candidate lists may be announced by CCBC or the press

Final Judging and Winner Selection

Judges Decided by deliberation of the judging committee appointed by CCBC

Announcement The winner is announced by CCBC and related media

Criteria

Historical accuracy and quality of period research
Expression and narrative style suitable for the target age (young readers)
Literary quality (structure, style, character depiction)
Originality and handling of themes
Depth and reliability of source-based depictions

Application Tips

Dos

Confirm submission requirements in advance (author must be Canadian, target publication year)
Prepare supporting materials to back up historical facts, and clearly indicate notes or references
Revise with awareness of expressions and narrative style suitable for young readers
Follow the submission format and deadline (adhere to CCBC regulations)

Don''ts

Do not submit works published outside the target year (usually the previous calendar year)
Do not neglect verification of historical facts or include misinformation
Do not omit the format or required information for submission documents

From Judges

We hope for attention not only to historical background accuracy but also to character portrayals
Narrative voice and stylistic innovations that resonate with target readers (young readers) are important
Reliability of details based on sources enhances the work's persuasiveness