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Award–winning publisher, Frances Lincoln Limited, and Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books, have launched 'Diverse Voices' an award in memory of Frances Lincoln (1945–2001). The search is on for a children's book manuscript that "celebrates cultural diversity in the widest possible sense, either in terms of its story or in terms of the ethnic and cultural origins of its author." The winner will receive £1,500, plus the option for Frances Lincoln Children’s Books to publish their novel. FLCB founded in 1977 publish well over 100 new books a year, and have nearly 1000 in print. The competition is for an unpublished book (fiction) for eight to 12-year-olds by a writer aged 16 or over. The book must be between 10,000 and 30,000 words in English. The writer must not have previously published a novel for children but may have contributed to an anthology of prose or poetry. The closing date for all entries is 30 January 2009. The winner will be announced at an award ceremony at Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books, next April. The award has been set up to : "Take positive steps to increase the representation of people writing from or about different cultural perspectives, whose work is published in Britain today. Promote new writing for children, especially by or about people whose culture and voice are currently underrepresented. Recognise that as children’s books shape our earliest perceptions of the world and its cultures, promoting writing that represents diversity will contribute to social and cultural tolerance. Support the process of writing rather than, as with the majority of prizes, promoting the publication." The judges will be Trevor Phillips – Chair of The Equality and Human Rights Commission, Jake Hope – Children’s Librarian for Lancashire Libraries, and a freelance consultant, Geraldine Brennan – Journalist and former Books Editor at the Times Educational Supplement, Janetta Otter-Barry – Editorial Director, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and Mary Briggs – Co-Founder of Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books For entry forms email [email protected] You can check out the great titles published by FLCB at their website www.franceslincoln.com/Home