About the New Visions Award
Established in 2012, the New Visions Award is given biennially to an unpublished writer of color or Native/Indigenous writer for a middle grade or young adult manuscript.These can be works of fiction, narrative non-fiction, or stories in verse. Graphic novel manuscripts are also accepted. We love page-turning stories with which children and teens of color, or Indigenous children and teens can identify and relate.
New Visions Award winners receive a standard publication contract, including Lee & Low Books’s basic royalties for a first-time author and an advance in the amount of $15,000.
Winners are also given close publishing mentorship as they work to develop their book for publication. Nurturing manuscripts takes time, and Lee & Low’s commitment to this contest represents over a decade of dedication. We are in this for the long haul! We ask for the same commitment and courtesy from applicants. Please make sure you are able to abide by the eligibility and manuscript submission guidelines before entering.
Past winners include Ink and Ashes by Valynne Maetani, an Asian/Pacific American Honor for Literature; Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh, which received three starred reviews and is a Junior Library Guild selection; Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar, which received two starred reviews and is listed as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People; The Wind Called My Name by Mary Louise Sanchez; and Julieta and the Diamond Enigma by Luisana Duarte Armendáriz.
Most Recent Results
Although there is no New Visions Award winner in 2023, Tu Books is pleased to recognize our talented finalists: Erika Johnson for the middle-grade novel The Adventure of Grace Amazing and Magical Mo, Kyla Stan for the contemporary young adult novel Community Garden, and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas for the young adult fantasy novel Shifter and Dreamer.
Thank you to all of those who entered the contest, and good luck to these up-and-coming writers!
Submitted manuscripts for the 2024 contest are still under review.
