2012 Hans Christian Andersen Award

The Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury of the international Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) announces that María Teresa Andruetto from Argentina is the winner of the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Author Award. and Peter Sís from the Czech Republic is the winner of the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award. The Andersen medals and diplomas will be presented to the winners at the international IBBY Congress in London on 25 August 2012.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award, considered the most prestigious in international children’s literature, is given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People to a living author and illustrator whose complete works are judged to have made lasting contributions to children’s literature. In awarding the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Medal for writing to María Teresa Andruetto the Jury recognized her mastery in writing important and original works strongly focused on aesthetics. She creates sensitive books, which are deep and poetic with a clear literary base. Her books relate to a great variety of topics, such as migration, inner worlds, injustice, love, poverty, violence or political affairs.

In awarding the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration to Peter Sís the Jury recognized his extraordinary originality and deep creative power to relate highly complex stories that can be interpreted on different levels. The jury particularly appreciated his use of different design and artistic techniques, his innovative subtle balance to depict well-documented and historical events and fantastic elements.

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2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

In a ceremony on 28 May Dutch author Guus Kuijer was presented with the 2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) by HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. In his acceptance speech, Kuijer said: “A boy once told me that reading was like bungee jumping inside his head. So I wish you all a great bungee jumping season.” Guus Kuijer, born 1942, is an author living and working in the Netherlands. He made his debut as a children’s writer in 1975 and has since published over 30 titles, mostly aimed at readers entering their teenage years. His key work is Het boek van alle dingen (2004, The Book of Everything). Kuijer is the recipient of numerous awards, and his books have been translated into more than ten languages including English, Swedish, German, Italian and Japanese.