Nine-Year-Old Winner of Celebrating Young Indigenous Voices Contest to Read Story at IBBY World Congress

IBBY Canada is pleased to announce that nine-year-old Yekaronyohs (Kanyen'keha) is the winner of the Celebrating Young Indigenous Voices: From Sea to Sea to Sea writing contest, sponsored by the IBBY-Yamada Fund. She will read her winning story to an audience of distinguished children’s book creators, publishers, educators, librarians, and literacy advocates from around the globe at the 40th IBBY World Congress on August 6, 2026.

“I was excited when I found out I won the contest,” Yekaronyohs said. “My Ihstha and I were jumping up and down! I want to be a journalist or an artist when I grow up because I love to write and create.”

Created in honour of the 40th IBBY World Congress and the 10th anniversary of From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books, a curated collection of the finest Indigenous picture books published in Canada, the contest was open to original unpublished works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit writers between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. Author-editors Nancy Cooper (Chippewas of Rama First Nation) and David A. Robertson (Norway House First Nation) selected the winning entry from a shortlist chosen by a committee of Indigenous and non-Indigenous librarians and writers appointed by IBBY Canada.

Yekaronyohs will read her winning story at the Celebrating Indigenous Voices event on August 6, 2026, during the IBBY World Congress. Hosted by the Canadian History Museum, the event will also feature the launch of the IBBY–UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages and a panel discussion between contest jurors Nancy Cooper and David A. Robertson and Ben Bown, CEO of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, a recent winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for its outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature.

The winning story and shortlist will be published in an anthology distributed to Congress delegates and on IBBY Canada’s website. Yekaronyohs will also receive copies of the entire From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books collection for her local library or school

“We are beyond grateful to the young writers who shared their work with us and everyone who supported the project,” said contest co-chairs Amanda Robinson (Nlaka’pamux First Nations) and Abigail Deck (Métis). “We hope this project encourages and inspires more stories and writing by young Indigenous writers from sea to sea to sea.”