Press release -
Lena Kåreland new member of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award jury
Today the Swedish Arts Council appointed Lena Kåreland as member of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award jury from July 1, 2015.
Lena Kåreland is Professor Emerita in Literature with a focus on didactics and literary theory. She is a member of the Swedish Institute for Children’s Books’ scientific board for producing a work on the history of Swedish children’s and young adult literature. She also reviews Swedish and foreign children’s literature in the Swedish National newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.
Lena Kåreland has written some 15 books focusing on children and young adult literature, including monographs on Lennart Hellsing, Tove Jansson and Astrid Lindgren and has published numerous articles and essays in Swedish magazines and books.
She was awarded by the Swedish Academy in 2011, received the Gulliver Award in 1998 and the Karin Westman Berg Scholarship in 2013. She replaces Larry Lempert, who served the jury for 13 years, 10 of which as chairman.
Topics
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) is the world's largest award for children's and young adult literature. The award, which amounts to SEK 5 million, is given annually to a single laureate or to several. Authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and reading promoters are eligible. The award is designed to promote interest in children's and young adult literature. The UN convention of rights of the child is the foundation of our work. An expert jury selects the laureate(s) from candidates nominated by institutions and organisations all over the world. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was founded by the Swedish government in 2002 and is administrated by the Swedish Arts Council.
