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South Asia Book Award

Submissions Being Accepted for the 2012
South Asia Book Award

Mission

The South Asia Book Award (SABA) has been established by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium (member National Resource Centers funded by The US Department of Education, Title VI) to promote awareness about South Asia to librarians, publishers and teachers. One award will be given annually to a person whose book is of exceptional literary merit and that accurately and skillfully portray South Asia.

Rationale

In recent years an increasing number of quality children's and young adult fiction books have appeared that portray South Asia or South Asians living abroad. To encourage and commend authors and publishers who produce such books, and to provide teachers with recommendations for classroom use, the South Asia National Outreach Consortium (SANOC) will offer a yearly book award, and may also designate up to five honor books and up to five titles to be included on a highly commended list that will call attention to outstanding works on South Asia.

Criteria

The award will be given in recognition of a recently published work of fiction, non-fiction, poetry or folklore, from early childhood to secondary reading levels, published in the United States, Canada or United Kingdom, in English (translations into English will also be accepted) which accurately and skillfully portrays South Asia or South Asians in the diasporas, that is the experience of individuals living in South Asia, or of South Asians living in other parts of the world. The culture, people, or heritage of South Asia should be the primary focus of the story.

The countries and islands that make up South Asia are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the region of Tibet. We will also consider stories that take place in the Caribbean Islands that focus on a South Asian subject.

In determining the award, books will be judged for: 1) quality of story; 2) cultural authenticity; and 3) potential for classroom use.

Process

To nominate a 2011 copyright title, publishers are invited to submit review copies to the award committee by December 31, 2011. Members are listed on the reverse of this sheet. There is no entry fee. Committee members will review the nominated books individually and will consult reviews in major publishing/library journals. The 2012 award and commended list will be announced by February 25, 2012. The formal award presentation will be held during the National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington, November 16-18, 2012. Award time and location will follow at a later date.

Submission Guidelines

Download Guidelines in .pdf format

One award for early childhood to secondary reading levels written or translated into English, and published in Canada, United Kingdom, or the United States in 2011, is eligible for consideration for the 2012 South Asia Book Award. If a book was originally published in South Asia, but subsequently distributed in Canada, the U.K. or the U.S., it will be eligible in the year it is first available through the distributor. The book may be folklore, fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Books may be submitted by publishers, although the judges may consider any eligible book that comes to their attention.

Please send **seven copies of the nominated book** (one each) to the South Asia Book Award Committee Members and the Award Coordinator.
Shawn Brommer, Chair SABA Award Committee 2218 Rusk St Madison, WI 53704	Jennifer Burke DeWitt Community Library 3649 Erie Blvd. East DeWitt, NY 13214
Tarini Bedi South Asia Language and Area Center University of Chicago 5848 S. University Avenue Kelly Hall 102 Chicago, IL 60637	Victoria Bradley 229 Texas Oak Drive Cedar Creek Texas 78612
Oralee Kramer 7715 37th NE Seattle WA 98115	Svetha Hetzler 5326 Russett Road Madison, WI 53711
Marge Loch-Wouters ATTN: SABA Award La Crosse Public Library 800 Main St La Crosse WI 54601	Rachel Weiss SABA Award Coordinator 203 Ingraham Hall 1155 Observatory Drive Madison, WI 53706

2011-12 Award Committee Details

The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2011. The 2011 winner, honor books and highly commended books will be announced by February 25, 2012. For more information about SANOC and the SABA award, go to sanoc.org/saba.html. For questions, please contact Rachel Weiss, Award Coordinator, at (608) 262-9224 or rweiss@southasia.wisc.edu.