In 2021, Green Bean Books and Jewish Book Week announce the launch of two exciting new prizes for children’s authors and illustrators living in Europe, the UK and Israel. The awards were established to discover inspiring and relevant stories for young children based on Jewish history, values and traditions. In March 2022, one author and one illustrator were each awarded a £1000 prize at a presentation at Jewish Book Week in London. To read more details click here
The first awards were judged by author and chair of the book selection committee of PJ Library Chris Barash; publisher of Green Bean Books Michael Leventhal; director of the Children’s and YA department at Kinneret-Zmora-Dvir Yael Molchadsky; and translator and author Lawrence Schimel.
Remarking on the prize, Michael Leventhal said “I hope that the prizes will prompt authors and illustrators to tackle and submit work based on the great canon of Jewish literature and give talented writers and illustrators recognition.
Yael Molchadsky said “Good literature needs nurture, and even more so in a world that is growing global, with one dominating language and culture. In this world the nurture and celebration of a heritage that belongs to a small nation is a cultural need and duty.
Chris Barash commented “Talented authors around the globe have Jewish stories to tell, and there are many equally talented artists ready to create the illustrations to help tell those stories. We need to encourage, recognise, and reward new authors and illustrators of Jewish stories. The goal of these awards is to help do just that.
Lawrence Schimel added “Whatever language they write in, I hope this new prize helps encourage new generations of Jewish writers to create modern, plural, inspiring, illuminating tales of Jewish life.”
Director of Jewish Book Week Claudia Rubenstein added: “we are delighted to be partnering on this important prize.”