Press release -
Nominees announced for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2017
For the world’s largest children’s literature award next year, 226 candidates from 60 countries are nominated, of which 63 are nominated for the first time, jury chairman Professor Boel Westin announced at the Frankfurt Book Fair today.
- We in the jury are very much looking forward to learning more about the works and the activities of the candidates, says professor Westin after making the announcement. The nomination list is a gold mine for anyone interested in international children’s and YA literature. I hope that this list will be spread and used in all possible situations concerning reading and storytelling.
All continents are represented among the nominated writers, illustrators, reading promoters and storytellers. Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) rewards works or activities of the highest quality but the laureates must also embrace the humanistic values that Astrid Lindgren treasured.
The candidates have been suggested by more than a hundred organisations from all over the world. These nominating bodies, with expert knowledge, can nominate candidates from their own country or region but also from abroad.
- The nominating bodies are our eyes and ears says Boel Westin. The jury is Swedish but the award is international and we are extremely impressed by the enthusiasm and knowledge within the organisations.
The jury members conclude their work with a meeting and a press conference on Tuesday April 4 at 1 pm. at the National Library in Stockholm. The event will be broadcast live to Bologna Book Fair. The candidate list is available at www.alma.se/en
For further information, please contact director Helen Sigeland, +46 76 540 10 33, helen.sigeland@alma.se
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.
