Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award

The American Library Association (ALA) has introduced The Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement to recognize outstanding African American authors, illustrators or author/illustrators and practitioners for lasting and significant contributions to youth or young adult literature. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of Virginia Hamilton’s exemplary contributions through her literature and advocacy for children and youth, especially in her focus on African American life, history and consciousness.

The Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award is part of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards, which honor African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults that demonstrate sensitivity to “the African American experience via literature and illustration.” Virginia’s husband, Arnold Adoff, was instrumental in establishing this award.

For a press release from the ALA on the award, please visit http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/december2009/lifetime_olos.cfm
Each year, beginning in 2010, the recipient is announced at the Midwinter Conference of the American Library Association. The ALA maintains a page dedicated to the award, including an ongoing list of recipients, at http://www.ala.org/template.cfm?template=/CFApps/awards_info/award_detail_home.cfm&FilePublishTitle=Awards,%20Grants%20and%20Scholarships&uid=82625279EE3B6200