Country Canada | First awarded 2013 | |
Awarded for Excellence in First Nations, Métis and Inuit literature for youth Presented by Canadian Organization for Development through Education
Canada Council Official website www.codecan.org/burt-award-canada | ||
The Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature is a Canadian literary award, presented annually to works judged to be the best works of young adult literature published by Aboriginal writers in Canada. The award is sponsored by the Canadian Organization for Development through Education (CODE), a Canadian charitable organization devoted to literacy and education, and philanthropist William Burt, and administered by the Canada Council. Several other organizations, including the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the National Association of Friendship Centres and the Association of Canadian Publishers, are also involved in the award's administration.
Announced in 2012, the award was presented for the first time in 2013.
The award presents a first prize of $12,000, a second prize of $8,000 and a third prize of $5,000 annually. In addition to the prize money, CODE purchases 2,500 copies of each of the prize-winning titles, for free distribution to aboriginal community libraries, schools and community centres across Canada as part of the foundation's literacy program.