Awards: Chicago Tribune YA Literary; Stella Shortlist

David Levithan is the winner of the 2018 Chicago Tribune Young Adult Literary Award, which recognizes "an author whose work is aimed at a young adult audience, addresses themes especially relevant to adolescents, inspires young readers, and champions literacy." He will receive the award at the Printers Row Lit Fest on June 9. Levithan was scheduled to be receive the award at the 2017 Printers Row Lit Fest but was unable to attend because of an eye injury.

Levithan is editor of the Scholastic young adult imprint PUSH and has written 23 novels, both as a solo author and in collaborations with John Green, Andrea Cremer, Nina LaCour, Rachel Cohn, David Ozanich and Chris Van Etten and illustrator Brian Selznick. His novels include Boy Meets Boy; Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist; Will Grayson, Will Grayson; Every Day; Hold Me Closer; and You Know Me Well.

Chicago Tribune publisher and editor-in-chief Bruce Dold commented: "We are thrilled to recognize David Levithan for his extraordinary work and keen insight into the lives of young adults. We applaud his ability to connect with readers and touch on themes that resonate so closely with adolescents today."

Speaking about LGBT characters for the YA audience, Levithan said: "It's important to have a range of LGBTQIA+ voices in YA literature because there is a range of LGBTQIA+ experiences in life. Every teen deserves to be represented in some way in the books he or she or they or ze reads. It's as simple as that."

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The shortlist for the A$50,000 (about US$39,300) 2018 Stella Prize, which "showcases the power and diversity of writing by women in Australia," is:

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar
Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman
The Life to Come by Michelle de Kretser
An Uncertain Grace by Krissy Kneen
The Fish Girl by Mirandi Riwoe
Tracker by Alexis Wright

Fiona Stager, chair of the 2018 judging panel and owner of the Avid Reader, Brisbane, said that the titles "showcase the incredible breadth of talent in the writing by women in Australia today. The personal interweaves seamlessly with the political as these authors investigate the past, examine the present and re-imagine our future. Ideas about family, identity in all its forms, and politics at both its most profound and intimate levels are themes that connect these six diverse, engaging and original books."

The winner will be announced April 12.

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