Morris Award
The William C. Morris Award
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The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first given in 2009, honors a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature. The winner is announced annually at the 91´«Ã½ , with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December. The award's namesake is William C. Morris, an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults. Bill Morris left an impressive mark on the field of children’s and young adult literature. He was beloved in the publishing field and the library profession for his generosity and marvelous enthusiasm for promoting literature for children and teens.
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2024 Morris Award Winner: REZ BALL
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“Rez Ball,” written by Byron Graves, was named the 2024 winner of the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, which honors a book published by a first-time author. The book is published by Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Ojibwe teen Tre works towards his dream of making the high school varsity basketball team and winning the state tournament, all while navigating friendships, romance, and the grief of losing and living in the shadow of his late older brother.
2024 William C. Morris Committee
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Chair Kim Keown Farnsworth, Carmichael, California; Todd Cates, Winder, Georgia; Molly Dettmann, Norman, Oklahoma; Sondra Eklund, South Riding, Virginia; Sarah Flowers, Morgan Hill, California; Jillian Hommert, Chesterfield, Missouri; Paula Langsam, Washington DC; Laura Pearle, East Boston, Massachusetts; and Maria Vivar-Guzman, Lanham, Maryland.