2017 Speeches

Read remarks from the 2017 awards ceremonies, honoring YALSA's literary award winners.

Edwards Speech

Sarah Dessen is the recipient of the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens for “Dreamland”, “Keeping the Moon”, “Just Listen”, “The Truth About Forever”, “Along for the Ride”, “What Happened to Goodbye?”, and “This Lullaby.”

Sarah Dessen's speech (PDF)

Morris Award Speeches

In 2017, Jeff Zentner won the Morris Award for best first novel for teens for The Serpent King.



Finalists were Girl Mans Up written by M-E Girard, Rani Patel In Full Effect written by Sonia Patel, The Smell of Other People’s Houses written by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, and Tell Me Something Real written by Calla Devlin. The reception was held at the 2017 Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta.

Calla Devlin's speech (PDF)

Sonia Patel's speech (PDF)

Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock (PDF)

Jeff Zentner's speech (PDF)

Nonfiction Award Speeches

John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell won the 2017 Nonfiction Award for March: Book Three.



Finalists were Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History by Karen Blumenthal, In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives by Kenneth C. Davis, Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune written by Pamela S. Turner. Illustrated by Gareth Hinds, and This Land is Our Land: A History of American Immigration written by Linda Barrett Osborne.

Karen Blumenthal's speech (PDF)

Kenneth C. Davis' speech (PDF)

Pamela S. Turner's speech (PDF)

Gareth Hinds' speech (PDF)

Linda Barret Osborne's speech (PDF)

Printz Award Speeches

The 2017 Printz winner was John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell for March: Book Three.

Honor book authors Louise O’Neill for Asking For It, Julia Berry for The Passion of Dolssa, Neal Shusterman for Scythe, and Nicola Yoon for The Sun is Also a Star participated in a panel discussion.