IBBY Canada (International Board on Books for Young People) will launch a writing contest aimed at Indigenous youth this fall.

The contest, made possible with the support of the IBBY Yamada Fund, invites Indigenous youth aged 8–12 to submit works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Nancy Cooper (Chippewas of Rama First Nation) and David A. Robertson (Norway House First Nation) will select the winner. The shortlisted stories and essays are to be published in an anthology. The winner will be invited to attend the “Celebration of Indigenous Voices” dinner at the Canadian Museum of History during the 40th IBBY World Congress in Ottawa in August 2026.

The announcement coincides with the release of the fourth edition of From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books. As selected by a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous librarians, authors, and educators, the catalogue features the 25 best Indigenous picture books published on Turtle Island between 2022 and 2024.

“We are pleased to feature 25 new Indigenous picture books, created by brilliant Indigenous creators, in celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day—so that everyone can honour the wisdom, beauty, and culture of Indigenous peoples and communities from sea to sea to sea,” Colette Poitras of the Métis Nation of Alberta, and 1st Vice-President of IBBY Canada and chair of From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books said in a press release.

From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books was first launched in 2016 in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The first edition of the catalogue, launched in 2018, featured the 100 best Indigenous picture books published from 1993–2018; the second, launched in 2021, featured the best 25 Indigenous picture books published from 2018–2020; the third, launched last year, featured 25 books by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit creators published between 2020 and 2022.

All four editions are available to download from the IBBY Canada website.