Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Literature

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The Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Literature is a Canadian literary award given each year to the best young adult books written by Indigenous authors in Canada. The award is supported by the Canadian Organization for Development through Education (CODE), a Canadian charity focused on literacy and education, and by donor William Burt. It is managed by the Canada Council.

The Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Literature is a Canadian literary award given each year to the best young adult books written by Indigenous authors in Canada. The award is supported by the Canadian Organization for Development through Education (CODE), a Canadian charity focused on literacy and education, and by donor William Burt. It is managed by the Canada Council. Other groups, including the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the National Association of Friendship Centres, and the Association of Canadian Publishers, also help manage the award.

The award was announced in 2012 and first given out in 2013. Each year, the winner receives $12,000, the second-place winner receives $8,000, and the third-place winner receives $5,000. In addition to the prize money, CODE buys 2,500 copies of each winning book. These books are given for free to Indigenous community libraries, schools, and centres across Canada as part of CODE’s literacy program.

In June 2019, CODE announced that the award would expand to include a second category for books written in Indigenous languages.

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