The Announcement of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award at Bologna Book Fair

In Shaun Tan's absence at this year's Bologna Children's Book Fair, Ann James and Ann Haddon from Books Illustrated were delighted to receive the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award on his behalf.

For those who could not be there we thought you might like to see some photographs of this very exciting achievement.

Waiting at the Bologna Illustrators' Cafe for the award to be announced.

The 'Live to air' announcement from Sweden.

Shaun Tan has been awarded the Swedish Astrid Lindgren

Memorial Award for 2011!

Eric (Director of The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award) with

Ann James (illustrator and co-founder of Books Illustrated).

                                                

                         

A delicious spread waiting at the Astrid Lindgren 

Memorial Award stand. 

Ann and Eric toasting Shaun!

Shaun Tan wins the Swedish "Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award"

Just announced at Bologna Children's Book Fair 2011:


Another huge congratulations to Shaun Tan for winning the Swedish Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, only two weeks after receiving an Oscar for his animation The Lost Thing. 


The Astrid Lindgren Award is named after a Swedish author, publisher and human rights advocate, and is given by the Swedish Arts Council each year to honour a writer whose body of work has made an 'outstanding contribution to children's literature'. 


The literary prize is the largest to be given in the field of children's and young adult fiction. 



"The jury’s citation reads:

Shaun Tan is a masterly visual storyteller, pointing the way ahead to new possibilities for picture books. His pictorial worlds constitute a separate universe where nothing is self-evident and anything is possible. Memories of childhood and adolescence are fixed reference points, but the pictorial narrative is universal and touches everyone, regardless of age.

Behind a wealth of minutely detailed pictures, where civilization is criticized and history depicted through symbolism, there is a palpable warmth. People are always present, and Shaun Tan portrays both our searching and our alienation. He combines brilliant, magical narrative skill with deep humanism."
(excerpt taken from The Astrid Lindgren Award website).


Read more about Shaun's achievements on the following news websites:
Sydney Morning Herald
The Australian
ABC News
The Guardian

Drop by for a chat at Bologna Children's Book Fair

Since 2009 The Australian Publishers Association stand at the Bologna Children's Book Fair has hosted an exhibition of illustration from contemporary Australian picture books. These exhibitions, curated by Books Illustrated Gallery, celebrate some of the finest Australian picture books of each year and promote them to an international audience. 

Exhibition details:

The Australian Stand, Hall 26 B80

Monday 28th - Thursday 31st March