- Notable Books for Younger Readers 2015
- Astrid Lindgren Award
- Top Indie Book Awards
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (a.k.a. The ALMA) is the largest children’s and young adult literature award in the world, granting an amount of 5 million SEK (Swedish Krona) to the winner(s).
Every year, the nominees of this award are announced at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. This past October 15th when the new 2016 nominees were announced, I was there.
ALMA Peeps: the deciders. (From left to right, back row: Lennart Eng, Anna Höglund, Stefan Casta, Annika Edlund, Mats Kempe, Henry Ascher, Lena Kåreland. Front, from left: Maria Lassén-Seger, Katarina Kieri, Chairman Boel Westin, Johan Palmberg, and Elina Druker.)
The list of nominees is extensive (I’ve listed them below, with links where possible), with 215 people and organizations on the list, from 59 different countries. This singular fact I think suits Lindgren’s legacy well, especially once you’ve investigated those who have made the list.
It’s inclusive, international and impressive.
This award is particularly interesting because it doesn’t serve to recognize just one type of skill, as most awards do (i.e. writers, or illustrators, etc.). The Astrid Lindgren Award, which was first organized by the Swedish government in 2003 (one year after Lindgren’s death), acknowledges:
- writers,
- illustrators,
- organizations,
- librarians,
- storytellers
– anyone and any organization committed to literacy of the young.
The award is presented by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and the Swedish Minister for Culture in Stockholm. In 2016, the event will happen April 5th, during the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (where it will also be announced).
Astrid Lindgren is most known for her Pippi Longstocking stories, but she’s written many other stories that are beloved. She wrote what she wanted to read, often drawing from her childhood memories and fantasies and the Swedish landscape.
Lindgren is the third most translated children’s book author, beaten only by Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm Brothers. From the official ALMA website:
Astrid Lindgren is one of Sweden’s most important authors [Unquestionably!]. Her works have been translated into more than 90 languages [WOW!]. She renewed children’s literature and combined artistic integrity with commitment to the rights of children and young people. [I’d like someone to say that about me some day.]
Astrid Lindgren died in 2002 at the age of 94, but her stories will live forever. To honour her memory and to promote interest in children’s and young adult literature around the world, the Swedish government founded an international award in her name, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. [This is really cool.]
Below is the 2016 list of nominated candidates. I grabbed this list directly from the ALMA website, here. For anyone wanting to find out what all is happening in the world of literacy worldwide, this is your list.
I think you’ll find these potential laureates very inspiring. I do!
A & A Book Trust
Organisation
India
Abuelas Cuentacuentos: the Storytelling Grandmothers
Organisation
Argentina
A.C.C.E.S.
Organisation
France
Aakeson, Kim Fupz
Author
Denmark
Abdagić Kike, Mirsad
Author
Bosnia and Herzegovina
AÇEV (Anne Çocuk Eğitim Vakfı)
Organisation
Turkey
Ahlberg, Allan
Author
United Kingdom
Al Musallam, Abdulaziz
Author
United Arab Emirates
Albertine
Illustrator
Switzerland
Alemagna, Beatrice
Author/illustrator
Italy
All of Poland Reads to Kids
Organisation
Poland
Almond, David
Author
United Kingdom
Anveshi Research Centre for Women’s Studies
Organisation
India
Arkhipova, Anastasia
Illustrator
Russian Federation
Azzopardi, Andreas
Author
Malta
Baek, Heena
Illustrator
Republic of Korea
Baniasadi, Mohammed Ali
Illustrator
Iran
Bányai, István
Illustrator
United States
Berner, Rotraut Susanne
Illustrator
Germany
Biblionef
Organisation
South Africa
Blake, Quentin
Illustrator
United Kingdom
Blau, Aljoscha
Author/illustrator
Germany
Bo, Jin
Author
China
Bond, Ruskin
Author
India
Book Aid International
Organisation
United Kingdom
Book Art Center (BAC)
Organisation
Georgia
Briggs, Raymond
Author/illustrator
United Kingdom
Bringsværd, Tor Åge
Author
Norway
Brøgger, Lilian
Illustrator
Denmark
Bunanta, Murti/Kelompok Pecinta Bacaan Anak (KPBA)
Oral storyteller/Organisation
Indonesia
Canadian Children’s Book Centre
Organisation
Canada
Carle, Eric
Author/illustrator
United States
Chambers, Aidan
Author
United Kingdom
Chambers, Aidan & Nancy
Promoters of reading
United Kingdom
Children’s Literature New England (CLNE) & The Examined Life (EXL)
Organisations
United States
Cielena, Mara
Author
Latvia
Cieślak, Ola
Illustrator
Poland
Cneut, Carll
Illustrator
Belgium
Colfer, Eoin
Author
Ireland
Cooperativa Culturale Giannino Stoppani
Organisation
Italy
Cowley, Joy
Promoter of reading
New Zealand
Csukás, István
Author
Hungary
Da Coll, Ivar
Author/illustrator
Colombia
Dahle, Gro
Author
Norway
Daly, Niki
Illustrator
South Africa
Davitashvili, Natalie
Author
Georgia
Dematons, Charlotte
Illustrator
Netherlands
Dezsö, Andrea
Illustrator
United States
Dodd, Lynley
Author/illustrator
New Zealand
Douzou, Olivier
Author/illustrator
France
Dubosarsky, Ursula
Author
Australia
Eeg, Harald Rosenløw
Author
Norway
Ekman, Fam
Author/illustrator
Norway
Ellis, Sarah
Author
Canada
Erdogan, Fatih
Author
Turkey
Eriksson, Eva
Illustrator
Sweden
Erlbruch, Wolf
Illustrator
Germany
Fanelli, Sara
Author/illustrator
Italy
Fernández Paz, Agustín
Author
Spain
Fombelle, Timothée de
Author
France
Foreman, Michael
Author/illustrator
United Kingdom
Foreningen !les
Organisation
Norway
Friends of African Village Libraries (FAVL)
Organisation
United States
Future Library
Organisation
Greece
Gaiman, Neil
Author
United Kingdom/United States
The German Nicaraguan Library and the Bibliobús Bertolt Brecht
Organisation
Nicaragua
Geelen, Harrie
Author/illustrator
Netherlands
Gestel, Peter van
Author
Netherlands
Givargizov, Arthur
Author
Russian Federation
Gleeson, Libby
Author
Australia
Gleitzman, Morris
Author
Australia/United Kingdom
Godon, Ingrid
Illustrator
Belgium
Gonzalez, Maria Teresa Maia
Author
Portugal
Grobler, Piet
Illustrator
South Africa
Gunnarsdóttir, Kristín Helga
Author
Iceland
Gwang, So Yong
Promoter of reading/oral storyteller
D.P.R. Korea
Hallworth, Grace
Author/oral storyteller
United Kingdom
Havukainen, Aino & Sami Toivonen
Author/illustrator
Finland
Hébert, Marie-Francine
Author
Canada
Hellgren, Joanna
Author/illustrator
Sweden
Hellsing, Lennart
Author
Sweden
Herbauts, Anne
Author/illustrator
Belgium
Hole, Stian
Author/illustrator
Norway
Hughes, Shirley
Author/illustrator
United Kingdom
International Youth Library
Organisation
Germany
Jeffers, Oliver
Author/illustrator
United Kingdom
Jensen, Louis
Author
Denmark
Jonge, Harm de
Author
Netherlands
Jónsdóttir, Áslaug
Author/illustrator
Iceland
Kaldhol, Marit
Author
Norway
Kalman, Maira
Author/illustrator
United States
Karrebæk, Dorte
Illustrator
Denmark
Kasparavicius, Kestutis
Author/illustrator
Lithuania
Katha
Organisation
India
Kivirähk, Andrus
Author
Estonia
Komagata, Katsumi
Author/illustrator
Japan
Kršenković Brković, Dragana
Author
Montenegro
Kunnas, Mauri
Author/illustrator
Finland
Kwon, Yoon-duck
Illustrator
Republic of Korea
Labor Ateliergemeinschaft
Organisation
Germany
Lambrelli, Lily
Author/oral storyteller
Greece
Lampedusa Library/Silent Books
Organisation
Italy
Lapeña-Bonifacio, Amelia
Author
Philippines
Lavachery, Thomas
Author
Belgium
Leeuwen, Joke van
Author/illustrator
Netherlands
Le Guin, Ursula
Author
United States
Lester, Alison
Author
Australia
Letterbox Club
Organisation
United Kingdom
Liao, Jimmy
Author/illustrator
Taiwan
Lieshout, Ted van
Author
Netherlands
Lindström, Eva
Author/illustrator
Sweden
Lowry, Lois
Author
United States
Lubaev, Sergey
Illustrator
Russian Federation
Lubuto Library Partners
Organisation
Zambia
Luján, Jorge
Author
Argentina
Lukk-Toompere, Regina
Illustrator
Estonia
Magallanes, Alejandro
Author/illustrator
Mexico
Marchetta, Melina
Author
Australia
Marek, Veronika
Author/illustrator
Hungary
Masini, Beatrice
Author
Italy
Matsuoka, Kyoko
Promoter of reading
Japan
Meek Spencer, Margaret
Promoter of reading
United Kingdom
Mello, Roger
Author/illustrator
Brazil
Mesghali, Farshid
Illustrator
Iran
Mezemuseum (The Hungarian Fairy Tale and Story Museum)
Organisation
Hungary
Mirhadi, Touran
Promoter of reading
Iran
Modan, Rutu
Author/illustrator
Israel
Moeyaert, Bart
Author
Belgium
Moradi Kermani, Houshang
Author
Iran
Morpurgo, Michael
Author
United Kingdom
Mourlevat, Jean-Claude
Author
France
Moursund, Gry
Illustrator
Norway
Muggenthaler, Eva
Author/illustrator
Germany
Murail, Marie-Aude
Author
France
Nadja (Nadja Fejto)
Illustrator
France
Naidoo, Beverley
Author
South Africa
Negrin, Fabian
Illustrator
Italy
Ness, Patrick
Author
United Kingdom
Nikl, Petr
Author/illustrator
Czech Republic
Nimr, Sonia
Author
Palestine
Nopola, Sinikka & Tiina
Authors
Finland
Nyhus, Svein
Author/illustrator
Norway
Odriozola, Elena
Illustrator
Spain
Olujić, Grozdana
Author
Serbia
Ottley-Mitchell, Carol
Author
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Pacheco, Gabriel
Illustrator
Mexico
Paegle, Anita
Illustrator
Latvia
Paljetak, Luko
Author
Croatia
Pardi, Charlotte
Illustrator
Denmark
Parvela, Timo
Author
Finland
Pateraki, Giolanda
Author
Greece
Patte, Geneviève
Promoter of reading
France
Pellowski, Anne
Oral storyteller
United States
Petersons, Reinis
Illustrator
Latvia
Pienkowski, Jan
Illustrator
United Kingdom/Poland
Place, Francois
Illustrator
France
Prado, Miguelanxo
Illustrator
Spain
Pratham Books
Organisation
India
Pressler, Mirjam
Author
Germany
Rahimizadeh, Pejman
Illustrator
Iran
Rahmandoust, Mostafa
Author
Iran
Rascal
Oral storyteller
Belgium
Raud, Piret
Author
Estonia
Richter, Jutta
Author
Germany
Riff, Hélène
Illustrator
France
Room to Read
Organisation
United States
Rosoff, Meg
Author
United Kingdom
Rozman Roza, Andrej
Author/oral storyteller/promoter of reading
Slovenia
Ršumović, Ljubivoje
Author
Serbia
Rueda, Claudia
Author/illustrator
Colombia
Rungulis, Māris
Author
Latvia
Rönns, Christel
Illustrator
Finland
Sandman Lilius, Irmelin
Author/illustrator
Finland
Šarić, Muhidin
Author
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Satrapi, Marjane
Author/illustrator
France/Iran
Sedgwick, Marcus
Author
United Kingdom
Sertbarut (Bağcı), Miyase
Author
Turkey
Sfar, Joann
Author/illustrator
France
Sharafeddine, Fatima
Author
Lebanon
Shihab Nye, Naomi
Author
United States
Sierra i Fabra, Jordi
Author
Spain
Sís, Peter
Illustrator
United States
Škerl, Peter
Illustrator
Slovenia
Solberg, Lisa Aisato N’jie
Author/illustrator
Norway
Sta Romana-Cruz, Neni
Author/Promoter of reading
Philippines
Stark, Ulf
Author
Sweden
Stoutt, Elmore
Oral storyteller
British Virgin Islands
Strękowska-Zaremba, Małgorzata
Author
Poland
Strid, Jakob Martin
Illustrator
Denmark
Tara Books
Organisation
India
Teller, Janne
Author
Denmark
Tiainen, Marja-Leena
Author
Finland
Tidholm, Anna-Clara
Author/illustrator
Sweden
Tidholm, Thomas
Author
Sweden
Topuria, Tea
Author
Georgia
Torseter, Øyvind
Illustrator
Norway
Trivizas, Eugene
Author
Greece
Tullio Altan, Fransesco
Illustrator
Italy
Törnqvist, Marit
Illustrator
Netherlands
Ungerer, Tomi
Author/illustrator
France
Wabbes, Marie
Author/illustrator
Belgium
Vangheli, Spiridon
Author
Moldova
Wegelius, Jakob
Author/illustrator
Sweden
Welsh-Rabady, Renate
Author
Austria
Verplancke, Klaas
Illustrator
Belgium
Wiesner, David
Illustrator
United States
Wikland, Ilon
Illustrator
Sweden
Wilson, Jacqueline
Author
United Kingdom
Zak, Monica
Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading
Sweden
Zexin, Chen
Illustrator
China
Zusak, Markus
Author
Australia
Zwerger, Lisbeth
Illustrator
Austria
Keep creating, no matter what.
--Download Astrid Lindgren Award as PDF --