Karen Cushman Late Bloomer Award
Karen Cushman Late Bloomer Award supports unpublished children’s authors and author-illustrators aged 50 and older with work-in-progress funding and conference access to support their book projects.
This grant was recently updated
Winners will now be announced in November 2026, instead of October 2026.
Funder: Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
Due Dates: March 31, 2026 (2026 submission deadline) | March 31, 2027 (2027 submission deadline via Work-in-Progress Awards)
Funding Amounts: One winner receives $500 plus general tuition to any SCBWI conference worldwide
Summary: Supports a children’s literature work in progress by an unpublished author or author-illustrator aged 50 or older.
Key Information: Applicants must be current SCBWI Premium Members and must not have been traditionally published or have a project under contract in children’s books.
Description
The Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award supports children’s book authors and author-illustrators aged 50 and older who have not been traditionally published in children’s literature. Established by Newbery Award winner and Newbery Honor Book recipient Karen Cushman and her husband, Philip Cushman, in conjunction with SCBWI, it combines financial support for a work in progress with access to an SCBWI conference.
The award is a special category within SCBWI’s Work-in-Progress Awards, which assist writers and illustrators with specific projects not under contract. One winner is selected from eligible Work-in-Progress applicants, with final judging by a committee including Karen Cushman. Submissions are text-only manuscripts, including submissions from author-illustrators.
