Press release -
The 2021 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award laureate will be announced on March 30
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, ALMA, is given annually to a person or organisation for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature. With a prize of five million Swedish kronor, it is the largest award of its kind. This year 262 candidates were nominated from 68 countries.
“Now more than ever, children and young people need access to literature that puts the world in perspective. This year's candidates include some of the world’s leading children’s book creators and reading promoters”, says jury chair Boel Westin.
Live press conference
The announcement will take place on Tuesday 30 March at 1 pm CET at a live press conference from the TioTretton children’s library at the Kulturhuset Stadsteatern in Stockholm. The broadcast will start at 1 pm when the jury will announce their decision, followed by a short presentation of the laureate. The Swedish Minister of Culture and Democracy, Amanda Lind and the jury chair Boel Westin, will present this year’s laureate. The event will be hosted by the Swedish cultural columnist Stefan Ingvarsson.
“The works of the nominated candidates’ include wonderful adventures, everyday emotional observations, psychological insights, brilliant visual illustrations and humorous masterpieces”, says jury member and author Mårten Sandén.
Candidates
All nominated candidates can be found at the ALMA website. They have been nominated by more than one hundred organisations from around the world with expert knowledge in children’s literature.
Previous laureates
2020 Baek Heena, 2019 Bart Moeyaert, 2018 Jacqueline Woodson, 2017 Wolf Erlbruch, 2016 Meg Rosoff, 2015 PRAESA, 2014 Barbro Lindgren, 2013 Isol, 2012 Guus Kuijer, 2011 Shaun Tan, 2010 Kitty Crowther, 2009 Tamerinstitutet, 2008 Sonya Hartnett, 2007 Banco del Libro, 2006 Katherine Paterson, 2005 Ryôji Arai och Philip Pullman, 2004 Lygia Bojunga, 2003 Christine Nöstlinger och Maurice Sendak.
To request press credentials, please contact:
Mariella Kucer, Communications Officer
+46 076-5401017, mariella.kucer@alma.se
Related links
Topics
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 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.
