The William C. Morris YA Debut Award is an annual award given to a work of
young adult literature
Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults.
The subject matter and genres of YA correlate w ...
by a "first-time author writing for teens".
[ It is administered by the ]Young Adult Library Services Association
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association. YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates whose mission is to expand the capacity of l ...
(YALSA), a division of the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...
(ALA). It was named for twentieth-century American publisher William C. Morris (born 1928 or 1929 and raised up in Eagle Pass, Texas
Eagle Pass is a city in and the county seat of Maverick County in the U.S. state of Texas. Its population was 28,130 as of the 2020 census.
Eagle Pass borders the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, which is to the southwest and across t ...
, died Sept 28, 2003 in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
), whom YALSA calls an innovator and "an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults".[
The award is funded by the William C. Morris Endowment, established in 2000 and activated in 2003 with a bequest of $400,000 from the Morris estate.][ Morris gave the money to ALA to fund programs, publications, events, or awards in promotion of children's literature.][ In addition to being a member of ALA, Morris was the first recipient of its Distinguished Service Award in 1992.][ The shortlist for the first award was announced on December 8, 2008, and the winner, '' A Curse Dark as Gold'' by Elizabeth C. Bunce, was announced on January 26, 2009, at the ALA's midwinter meeting.][ About 4000 "YA titles" are published annually and about 10% may be debuts.][
]
Recipients
Notes
References
{{ALA(library)
Awards established in 2009
Young adult literature awards
American Library Association awards
English-language literary awards