Now celebrating its 35th Anniversary the Ezra Jack Keats Award was created to nurture illustrators and writers, early in their careers, who create extraordinary books that reflect our diverse population, the universal experience of childhood, and the strength of family.
The EJK Award has been administered in partnership by the EJK Foundation and the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, at the University of Southern Mississippi, since 2012. The de Grummond is recognized as one of this country’s premier collections of children’s literature and is also the home of the Keats Archive. Along with the EJK Award, winners receive a cash prize of $5,000 each, and EJK Award honorees receive a cash prize of $2,000 each.