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http://ias.berkeley.edu/academics/award.html
The
American Book Awards
America
was intended to be a place where freedom from discrimination
was the
means by
which equality was achieved. Today, American culture is the most diverse
ever on
the face of this earth. Recognizing literary excellence demands a
panoramic
perspective. A narrow view strictly to the mainstream ignores all the
tributaries that feed it. American literature is not one tradition
but
all
traditions. From those who have been here for thousands of years to the
most
recent immigrants, we are all contributing to American culture. We are all
being
translated into a new language. Everyone should know by now that Columbus
did
not "discover" America. Rather, we are all still discovering America-and
we must
continue to do so.
The Before Columbus Foundation was
founded in
1976 as a nonprofit
educational and service organization dedicated to
the
promotion and
dissemination of contemporary American multicultural
literature. The goals
of BCF are to provide recognition and a wider
audience
for the wealth of
cultural and ethnic diversity that constitutes
American
writing. BCF has always employed the term "multicultural" not as a
description
of an aspect of American literature, but as a definition of all American
literature. BCF believes that
the ingredients of America's so-called
"melting
pot" are not only distinct,
but integral to the unique constitution of
American Culture-the whole comprises
the
parts.
In 1978, the Board of
Directors of BCF (authors, editors, and publishers
representing the
multicultural diversity of American Literature) decided that one of its
programs
should be a book award that would, for the first time, respect and honor
excellence in American literature without restriction or bias with regard
to
race, sex, creed, cultural origin, size of press or ad budget, or even
genre.
There would be no requirements, restrictions, limitations, or second
places.
There would be no categories (i.e., no "best" novel or only one
"best"
of
anything). The winners would not selected by any set quota
for
diversity (nor
would "mainstream white anglo male" authors to be excluded),
because
diversity happens naturally. Finally, there would be no losers,
only
winners.
The only criteria would be outstanding contribution to
American
literature in
the opinion of the judges.
All
winners are accorded equal standing. Their publishers are also
to be
honored
for both their commitment to quality and their willingness to take the
risks
that accompany publishing outstanding books and authors that may not prove
"cost-effective" in the short run. There are special Award designations
(such as
Lifetime Achievement) for contributions to American literature beyond a
recently
published book. The American Book Awards Program is not associated
with
any
industry group or trade organization. The American Book Awards
offer no
cash
prize nor do they require any financial commitments from the authors or
their
publishers. The Award winners are nominated and selected by a panel of
writers,
editors, and publishers who also represent the diversity of American
literary culture.
Submission
Procedure:
There are no
application forms, fees, or any other restrictions for
submissions,
nominations, or recommendations to the panel. The book is what
matters,
not the procedure. The only requirement is that two copies of the
book
must be mailed to the Before Columbus Foundation by December 31st for
consideration for the following year's Awards. Anyone may make a
submission (it does not have to be the publisher). There is no limit on
the
number of titles that may be submitted. All genres are accepted
(including
anthologies, children's books, and multimedia). You may include reviews,
publicity, or other
informational material with your submission if you
wish.
Prepublication
copies are accepted. Reprintings or new editions of lost
classics are also welcome. The overriding principle is that there shall be
no
exclusions except time constraints (leeway is even available on deadline
postmark dates, with prior approval). Submissions cannot be returned
and
acknowledgement is by SASE request only. For more information, call: (510)
268-9775
American Book Awards
Before Columbus Foundation
The
Raymond House
655-13th Street, Suite 302
Oakland, CA
94612
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