HOPKINSON: I see that you have an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds. How important is it to you that the awards be given fee free?

THORNE: Paramount. An award with a fee privileges those who are able to pay the fee. One of my favorite awards available to our writerly community is the Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship, which is run fee-free by the Poetry Foundation. They have been a huge inspiration. We feel it’s important to continue to develop accessible spaces in our community.

Trish Hopkinson and I discuss Tandem Reader Awards, our amazing perks for our fundraiser, and early-bird nominations on her blog!