New Voices in Children's Literature: Tassy Walden Awards
This annual competition presented by the Shoreline Arts Alliance encourages and nurtures the creation and publication of exceptional quality books for children by unpublished Connecticut writers and illustrators. An award of $250 is presented to the winners in each of five categories as judged by publishing industry experts including: Picture Book (text only), Illustrated Picture Book, Illustrator's Portfolio, Middle Grade Novel and Young Adult/Teen Novel.

All submissions to the New Voices in Children's Literature competition must adhere to Call for Entry requirements and are evaluated pursuant to children's book publishing standards and guidelines in a two-tier process. Nationally recognized literary agents make an initial selection of submission finalists in each award category after which acclaimed editors determine awards and, if applicable, honorable mention recognition. Awards and honorable mention are determined at the discretion of the judges.

New Voices in Children's Literature: Tassy Walden Awards are judged on the basis of literary and/or artistic merit and quality. Awards are not for didactic intent or for popularity. In evaluating submissions, judges consider excellence achieved among the following areas:

For Writers: Establishment of the theme; plot development; character development; depiction of setting; suitability of material for a child audience; overall presentation, including clarity, accuracy and organization of material

For Illustrators: Artistic technique; ability to convey story, theme, characters, plot, information, setting and mood through pictures; suitability of style of illustration fo a child audience.

The Call for Entry submission deadline for the New Voices in Children's Literature: 10th Annual Tassy Walden Awards was February 5, 2010. If you missed this year's entry deadline check back at this site for information on the 2011 contest. All applicants will be notified of the judges' decisions in early May. On May 19, 2010, the Shoreline Arts Alliance will celebrate the 10th anniversary of this renowned competition, honor finalists and present awards at 7pm at the Blackstone Library, 758 Main Street, Branford, CT.

For more information contact the office at 203-453-3890.

Guidelines and Call for Entry forms and tips and information for New Voices in Children's Literature: Tassy Walden Awards for 2010 may be downloaded below.

Call for Entry
Download the PDF Form

Tips and Information:
Sample First Manuscript Page: Download PDF | Download MS Word File
Tips on Getting Started: Download PDF | Download MS Word File
Helpful Tips for Illustrators: Download PDF | Download MS Word File


New Voices in Children's Voices in Children's Literature: Tassy Walden Awards program is sponsored by Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Evergreen Woods with additional support from Helen H. and J. Sanford Davis.

Workshops for Writers & Illustrators:
The workshops offered in the Fall of 2009 have been completed. We wish to thank the following locations for collaborating with us for these presentations.
Barnes & Noble, 470 Universal Drive, North Haven
Barnes & Noble, Post Plaza Shopping Ctr, 1076 Post Road East,Westport
Barnes & Noble, Buckland Hills Mall, 270 Buckland Hills Dr,Manchester
New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm Street, New Haven

The Shoreline Arts Alliance also wishes to thank the following facilitators who conducted these workshops: Doe Boyle, Leslie Bulion, Deborah Freedman, Thea Guidone, Amanda Marrone and Nina Nelson.

If you missed the workshops and you have questions about the contest, guidelines, submission procedures, etc. please email questions to donita@shorelinearts.org.

2009 New Voices in Children's Literature: Tassy Walden Award Winners: Seated: Faith Hough & Nina Nelson: Standing (L to R): Rex Walden (Tassy's son), Betsy Devany MacLeod, Waltrina Kirkland-Mullins, Lindsay Broderick
Photo Credit: John MacLeod

2009 Winners:

• Picture Book (Text Only) - Waltrina Kirkland-Mullins, New Haven
  
• Illustrated Picture Book - No winner
• Illustrator's Portfolio -No winner
• Middle Grade Fiction -Faith Hough, Guilford
• Young Adult Fiction -Nina Nelson, Fairfield

The winner in each category receives: a $250 prize; publicity including a press release sent to 5-10 selected publishers, and local and regional newspapers. Many of our past winners and finalists are currently published or under contract to be published.

2009 Honorable Mention and Finalists:
Picture Book (Text Only):
Betsy Devany MacLeod, Ledyard; Bonnie Goldberg, North Haven; Karen Jordan, Westport
Illustrated Picture Book: Doug Armistead, Branford; Carol Czeipel-Morrison, West Haven; Sarah French, Rowayton; Marilyn Thrall, Canton
Illustrator's Portfolio: Lindsay Broderick, Newtown (Honorable Mention); Martha Lewis, New Haven; Phillip Youker, Wallingford; Kristy Orr, Westport; Lois Kennedy, East Hampton
Middle Grade Novel: Betsy Devany MacLeod, Ledyard (Honorable Mention); Pamela Foarde, Fairfield; Jeanne Zulick, Ellington; Stacy Barnett Mozer, Stamford; Erica Davis, Woodbridge
Young Adult Novel: John Hastings, Durham; Naomi Panzer, Fairfield; Kimberly Steffen, Guilford; Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Marlborough

Published Tassy Award Winners:
Here is a list of Tassy award winning writers and illustrators now published or under contract for publication.
Alice C. Bauer, Leslie Bulion, Leslie Connor, Frank Dormer, Julia Denos,Deborah Freedman,Thea Guidone, Rolandas Kiaulevicius, Jason Marchi, Amanda Marrone, Nina Nelson, Daniel Yagmin.