The Book of Everything – from Sydney to New York

One of Guus Kuijer’s most famous books, The Book of Everything, has been adapted for the theater and is showing at the New Victory Theater in New York from the 20^th to the 29^th of April.

“As for my work I consider “The Book of Everything” the most important”, says Guus Kuijer the recipient of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2012.

Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image from Sydney, Australia, have adapted The Book of Everything for stage.  

The play has been very well received in Australia, where it was shown last year.

“If you have kids, take them to see The Book of Everything. If you don’t – see it anyway. It’s a gem of a show.” – The Sydney Morning Herald

“When I grow up, I’m going to be happy. This is nine-year-old Thomas Klopper’s greatest wish. He isn’t quite an ordinary boy because he sees extraordinary things. Thomas draws them all in his book, The Book of Everything …”

Bologna 2012: Trends of the Show

Diane Roback and John A. Sellers´ retrospective on the Bologna Childrens Book Fair:

By most accounts, this year’s Bologna Book Fair was a vibrant one, with packed schedules and continued excitement for fiction. Unlike two years ago, when Hervé Tullet’s picture book Press Here was the title everyone was talking about, attendees didn’t crown a book of the fair, and were by and large pleased about that. As Wernick & Pratt agent Marcia Wernick put it, “There was no buzz book this year, and it’s been really nice. Everyone can focus on getting stuff done.”

Full article in Publishers Weekly here.

Our fabulous photographer Stefan Tell attended the Bologna Fair, and here´s a few good shoots: 

The annoucement of the 2012 ALMA recipient in Illustrators Café.

The happy publisher directly after the annoucement; Bärbel Dorweiler from Querido.

Maria Beatrice Medina, Banco del Libro, the 2007 ALMA recipient, visits the exhibition.

Illustrator Ryôji Arai from Japan, one of the 2005 ALMA recipients, is beeing interviewed.

Judith Drews from Illustratoren Organisation (Germany), one of the nominating bodies, visits the ALMA exhibition.

Reactions on the announcement

“I’m deeply grateful to receive this award. I hope that it will positively influence the position of children’s literature in the Netherlands and abroad. As for my work I consider “The Book of Everything” the most important.” Guus Kuijer

“Guus Kuijer’s ability to combine the big questions of life with humour and playful narrative zest has led to his work being translated into nearly twenty languages over the years. I am convinced that this year’s prize will further strengthen interest in children’s literature internationally.” Sweden’s Minister for Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth.

The news was published in media channels such as Publishers weekly, Le Figaro, Dutch news, Die Zeit, Le Soir, The Guardian, RTW Netherlands, The Telegraph, El Economista and De Tijd.

Tuesday March 20, 1 pm: chairman Larry Lempert announces the 2012 recipient in Vimmerby, the birthplace of Astrid Lindgren. Photo: Emma Jansson.

Guus Kuijer to receive Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2012

Guus Kuijer is an author, born in 1942, who lives and works in the Netherlands. Guus Kuijer made his debut as a children’s author in 1975 and has published over 30 titles, mostly aimed at readers on the cusp of their teenage years. Key works include Het boek van alle dingen (2004, The Book of Everything), Florian Knol (2006) and the series of five books about the girl Polleke, starting with Voor altijd samen, amen (1999, Together Forever, Amen).

His works have been translated into more than 10 languages, including English, Swedish, German, Italian and Japanese.

Guus Kuijer made the following comment about the award after the announcement:

– I’m deeply grateful to receive this award. I hope that it will positively influence the position of children’s literature in the Netherlands and abroad. As for my work I consider “The Book of Everything” the most important.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award will be presented at a ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall on 28 May 2012.

Today is the day!

This year’s recipient or recipients will be announced today. This moment, he jury is gathered in Vimmerby, where the final meet will take place. At 1 pm the jury chairman Larry Lempert announces the 2012 recipient live on www.alma.se/en

The announcement is also broadcast to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The program starts at 12.40 in the Illustrators Café.

The opening of Bologna Fiere

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award anniversary exhibition, public presentation of ALMA, talks with previous award recipients – all happening on the first day of the world’s biggest children’s book fair in Bologna. Here’s a few images from the anniversary exhibition:

The proud exhibition designer: Mats Hedman!

Meet the previous recipients in Bologna

On March 19, the world’s largest children’s book fair opens in Bologna. Due to the celebration of ALMA’s tenth anniversary, the previous award recipients have been invited to the fair. So, for all visitors of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair – don´t miss the opportunity to meet Lygia Bojunga, Ryôji Arai, Katherine Paterson, Banco del Libro, Sonya Hartnett, the Tamer Institute and Kitty Crowther.

The program includes Italian author Andrea Valente who talks to Sonya Hartnett and Katherine Paterson about writing for children, Eros Miari, children’s literature critic, interviews Lygia Bojunga. Giovanna Malgaroli, Nati per Leggere (Italy) and Deborah Soria, Libreria Ottimomassimo (Italy) talks to Maria Beatriz Media, Banco del Libro (Venezuela) and Renad Qubbaj, Tamer Institute (Palestine) about reading promotion experiences and practices. And of course, illustrators Ryôji Arai and Kitty Crowther talk about narrating with pictures.

For full program, have a look at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair’s web, here.

All previous recipients are presented in the ALMA jubilee exhibition, opening on the first day at the Fair.

This year’s ALMA recipient announced on 20 March

The announcement of 2011 at Astrid Lindgren’s Näs. Photo: Emma Larsson.

Two weeks to go to the announcement of the 2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award recipient! The announcement will be held traditionally at the cultural centre Astrid Lindgren’s Näs in the south of Sweden, on Tuesday March 20 at 1 pm. This year 184 candidates from 66 countries are nominated. Jury Chairman Larry Lempert made a statement in a press release earlier today:

– It’s fantastic to see the increasing breadth of entries, expanding our knowledge of children’s literature around the world. The number of candidates is larger than ever, and this naturally makes the jury’s job even harder, but also much more exciting.

A full list of the nominated candidates is published on our website. Among the nominees, 38 percent are authors, 21 percent illustrators, 20 percent promoters of reading and organisations and 1 percent oral storytellers. A fifth of the nominees are nominated in more than one category.

Children have a right to culture, say laureates

“Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play,” according to Philip Pullman, 2005 recipient of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA). Pullman is one of the 11 laureates featured in an exhibition marking ALMA’s 10th anniversary, to be staged at the world’s biggest book fair for children’s and young adult literature in Bologna, Italy.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) is 10 years old this year. For a decade now, the award has promoted interest in children’s and young adult literature around the world. The anniversary celebrations start at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, from 19 to 22 March, where a number of ALMA laureates will take part in various seminars.

“This will be the first time so many award recipients have all been present in the one place,” says Helen Sigeland, director of ALMA. “We’re looking forward to plenty of stimulating dialogue between our laureates and the public. Our exhibition and commemorative booklet will focus on promoting interest in children’s and young adult literature in an international context.”

Australian author Sonya Hartnett is one of the laureates visiting Bologna to mark the award’s 10th anniversary. She will be discussing the importance of children having access to good books with fellow author and laureate Katherine Paterson.

“A quality book for young people should leave them a different and slightly better person than the one they were when they began reading the book,” says Hartnett.

The laureates taking part in the Bologna event are Kitty Crowther, illustrator (Belgium, 2010), the Tamer Institute for Community Education, promotor of reading (Palestinian territories, 2009), Sonya Hartnett, author (Australia, 2008), Banco del Libro, promotor of reading (Venezuela, 2007), Katherine Paterson, author (USA, 2006), Ryôji Arai, illustrator (Japan, 2005) and Lygia Bojunga, author (Brazil, 2004).

The programme for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair will be available shortly on the Fair’s website.

The recipient or recipients of the 2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award will be announced to coincide with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The announcement will be made on Tuesday 20 March, at 1 pm, at Astrid Lindgren’s Näs in Vimmerby, Sweden. It will be broadcast via a live link to Bologna and online at http://www.alma.se/en.

Countdown for the announcement

Six weeks to go to the announcement of the 2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award recipient. Or, to be more exact, 40 days, 19 hours, 51 minutes and 40 seconds, from…. NOW! Follow the countdown on our web.