Opening of Emil exhibition at Astrid Lindgren’s Näs

Mark Levengood. Photo: Astrid Lindgren’s Näs.

Author and presenter Mark Levengood opened the new summer exhibition at Astrid Lindgren’s Näs yesterday. The theme this year is Emil in Lönneberga, and visitors can learn more about how Astrid Lindgren created the Emil stories, and her successful co-operation with illustrator Björn Berg. Many original illustrations by Björn Berg are exhibited at Näs.

– Emil shows that all people must be allowed to make mistakes and still be loved for whom they are. Hence the need for Emil today and in all times henceforth, said Mark Levengood in his opening speech.

The exhibition also contains screening of a newly produced film about the actual connection between Näs and the making of the Emil stories.

Furthermore, every Sunday both children and adults have the possibility to carve in wood in the wood shed next to Näs – just like Emil.

The exhibition is open until September 8.

Cover of Emil in Lönneberga by Björn Berg. Copyright Björn Berg / Bildmakarna Berg AB 2013.

 

Björn Berg. Photo: Bertil Jigert.

 

In Astrid Lindgren’s living room

The lounge. Astrid enjoyed sitting here drinking coffee, by herself or with her guests. Rebecka Svensén, Helen Sigeland, Lisa Lundgren and David Nygård from the award office. Photo: Helene Andersson.

Did you know that it’s possible to visit Astrid Lindgren’s home on Dalagatan in Stockholm? This is where Astrid lived between 1941 and 2002, in a three-bedroom apartment above restaurant Wasahof. Yesterday the award office experienced a fantastic guided tour by expert Lena Törnqvist, librarian who has been responsible for the Astrid Lindgren Archive at the Royal Library in Stockholm (many thanks indeed, Lena!). It´s a really special feeling you get when entering Astrid’s home, like she´s only temporarily out to do some errands. All furnishing and personal items has remained unchanged and the flat has been preserved exactly like when Astrid lived there.

The workroom is where Astrid dealt with her correspondence, listened to music, wrote her manuscripts on the typewriter and watched TV. Photo: David Nygård

Dalagatan may also be visited virtually, and to visit the flat IRL, you´ll have to be a member of the Astrid Lindgren Society.

Celebration of Maurice Sendak today

Today 85 years ago, American author and illustrator Maurice Sendak was born in Brooklyn, New York, in a poor emigrant family from Poland. His major breakthrough was Where the Wild Things Are, 1963, where he all at once revolutionised the entire picture-book narrative. Unlike any other contemporary picture-book artist, he changed the entire landscape of the modern picture-book – thematically, aesthetically and psychologically. Primarily it is in the dozen or so books that Sendak has both written and illustrated, where he penetrated the most secret recesses of childhood.

He received a spate of awards, and in 1993 he was announced as the first recipient of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (together with Austrian author Christine Nöstlinger).

Maurice Sendak passed away in May last year, and today we remember his works, not the least the characters in his books. Even Google commemorates Sendak with an animated doodle based on some of his best-known books.

Cover of Where the Wild Things Are (Harper and Row, 1963)

Isol, Isol!

Watch our presentation of Isol and her works! First screened at the award ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall on May 27.

Swedish Institute promotes children’s culture

In connection with the award week, the Swedish Institute arranged a media visit focusing on Swedish literature for young readers as well as reading promotion activities. Journalists from eight countries participated (Russia, Serbia, US, Mexico, Germany, France, China and UK), and the extensive program contained meeting with Helen Sigeland, ALMA director, and Larry Lempert, jury chairman and head of the International Library in Stockholm, Swedish Institute for Children’s Books, publishing house OLIKA etc. But the first point on the agenda was a meeting with Isol at the Skeppsholmen hotel in Stockholm.

To exhibit Children’s right to culture, one of the most prioritized goals in the Swedish culture politics today, the Swedish institute has produced a film about Swedish children’s culture pushes boundaries while respecting the child’s perspective, available here.

 

 

 

A magic night

Focus on picturebooks at the award ceremony

Crown Princess Victoria presents ALMA to Isol. Photo: Stefan Tell.

Two hours ago Isol was presented with the 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. The award ceremony paid tribute to the multitalented picture book artist from Argentina, who ended up her acceptance speech by performing an unaccompanied tango by Kurt Weill (keep an eye on our web for video clips tomorrow).

In her acceptance speech Isol emphasized the importance of illustrations.

– I’m glad this award gives relevance to those who think of illustration as a rich, profound language, one with a voice of its own. In picture books we can tell many things through colours, lines and shapes, and that -in turn- allows the text to breathe with freedom.

– I don’t actually think that I must put a limit to my imagination just because it’s a book for children, on the contrary! What reader could be more demanding than a child? Children have a lot of things to discover and I’d better be on their high level in order to satisfy their huge capacity for curiosity.

Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, Sweden’s Minister for Culture, acclaimed not only Isol’s qualitative artistry but also her respect for the child.

– With high artistic quality, humour and honesty Isol finds unconventional ways to reflect the realities of life and childhood through new and playful perspectives.

– Her stories show a heartfelt respect for children’s experiences and sentiments. She doesn´t shy away from also seeing the more saddening and difficult moment of life through a child’s eyes.

The award ceremony began with a piece of music performed by children and young students from El Sistema and members of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Rebecka Törnkvist. The hostess for the evening was actress Annika Hallin. Also on stage were members of Mando Diao, a rock band, who performed three songs from their latest album, which consists of settings of poems by Gustaf Fröding.

Isol gav two of her books to Crown Princess Victoria. Photo: Stefan Tell.

Mando Diao. Photo: Stefan Tell.

Tonight Isol receives the 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Tonight the world’s largest award for children’s and young adult literature will be presented to Isol! The 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award will be presented by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria and the Swedish Minister for Culture, Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth.

Today, the award office has published interviews with both Isol and jury chairman Larry Lempert.
– Isol got the prize for her quality, for her humanism and for her respect for the child, says Larry Lempert. In a broader sense, I would say that she is a surprising illustrator, an illustrator who surprises in every book she has done. She goes from one step to another, always with a new touch, a new approach.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award rewards illustrators, storytellers, authors and reading promoters who work in the humanistic spirit of Astrid Lindgren.
– Isol has always focused on the child, she always shows respect to the child, says Larry Lempert. She always defends the child. And I think these are the most important things that we can see in a children’s book. She always talks with the child rather than to the child.

Isol herself, being a not only an illustrator, but also a cartoonist, painter, graphic artist, poet, singer and composer, prefers to describe herself as a girl who is playing with her thoughts and skills:
– I like to test different fields and I like new adventures, but the core is always the same. I feel like a girl who is playing with her thoughts and her skills, and is trying to develop new games and to show something interesting for other people.

The award ceremony starts at 6:00 pm CET.

Isol participates in Babel and UR Samtiden

On Sunday May 26, Isol participates in literature program Babel on Swedish National Television, SVT2. Among the other guests are Sami Said, Oskar Hallbert and Carl Johan Malmberg. The programme starts at 8:00 pm.

Furthermore, Isol’s public conversation with jury member Ulla Rhedin at Kulturhuset (House of Culture) will be broadcast on Monday 27 at 6:00 pm at Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company’s UR Samtiden.

Jessika Gedin, Babel’s host, and Isol.

Sami Said, Carl Johan Malmberg, Oskar Hallbert, Jessika Gedin and Isol.

 

 

 

 

Emil turns 50 today!

“Do you know what Emil i Lönneberga did once?” Astrid suddenly asked that question of her three year-old grandson who was screaming his head off. Karl Johan stopped his racket. He was eager to know what Emil had done. Emil was born!

Today it´s 50 years since Astrid Lindgren wrote the first lines about the little rascal Emil in Lönneberga. This year, he´s celebrated big time. For example, outdoor museum Skansen in Stockholm is having a huge birthday party on Saturday, Astrid Lindgren’s Näs in Vimmerby (birthplace of Astrid Lindgren) will open an Emil exhibition on June 15, and amusement park Astrid Lindgren’s World opens a completely new Emil in Lönneberga area (their biggest investment ever). (On Christmas day a new animated film, Emil and Ida in Lönneberga, will be on the movie screens.

Emil is the character that Astrid felt the greatest affinity with, as Astrid Lindgren’s daughter puts it in an interview. The wellknown Emil figure is illustrated by Björn Berg (Bildmakarna Berg) The real model for Emil is in fact Björn’s four-year-old son, Torbjörn. The first book was published in 1963 by Rabén and Sjögren.