Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature

The Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature is awarded to the author of an outstanding body of work in children's literature. The winner, selected by a three-member, independent judging panel, is announced annually at the Writers' Trust Awards event. The prize is worth $20 000.

Vicky Metcalf created this award in 1963 to stimulate the writing of literature for Canadian children. A Toronto-based librarian, Metcalf held a passion for storytelling and published several children's books. Initially presented by the Canadian Authors Association, the prize has been administered by the Writers' Trust of Canada since 2002.

To be eligible for this award, authors must have published at least four English-language children's books available in Canada. These publications may be children's fiction, non-fiction, picture books, poetry, or any combination of the four. At least one of the titles must have appeared as a first-edition book during the last three years. Translations from other languages into English are eligible. The competition is limited to works written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents, but eligible authors published with a non-Canadian publisher will not be excluded. All eligible writers are considered by the independent jury. There is no submission or nomination process.

The Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature is sponsored by the Metcalf Foundation. The goal of the Metcalf Foundation is to enhance the effectiveness of people and organizations working together to help Canadians imagine and build a just, healthy and creative society.

Past recipients of the award include Farley Mowat, Jean Little, Janet Lunn, Dennis Lee, Robert Munsch, Tim Wynne-Jones, Marie-Louise Gay, Kenneth Oppel, Michael Kusugak, and Marthe Jocelyn.