PRAESA and Daniel Goldin to Göteborg Book Fair

Several international reading promoters will visit Sweden and Göteborg Book Fair on September 24-27. This year’s laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), the South African organisation PRAESA, and Daniel Goldin, publisher and Director of the Vasconcelos Library in Mexico City, will participate in seminars and programs at the Swedish Art Council’s Young Stage (Ung scen). 

– We are excited about this year’s Book Fair, says ALMA Director Helen Sigeland. We hope that many visitors will be inspired by PRAESA’s amazing work, which focuses on encouraging children to read for enjoyment, building their self-esteem and helping them connect to their native language through reading and stories, which is highly topical issue today.

PRAESA is represented by Arabella Koopman, Content Manager for the national reading promotion project Nal’ibali, a network of reading clubs that uses media campaigns to encourage children to read and inspire parents, grandparents and teachers to read with them.

– Daniel Goldin is one of the world’s foremost reading promoters, a brilliant inspirer, says Helen Sigeland. Daniel Goldin is the publisher who discovered the 2013 ALMA Laureate Isol’s talent for illustrated children’s books.

Young stage (Ung scen) is situated in Hall A 03:22.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) 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.

Huge audience listened to Barbro Lindgren in Gothenburg

Lots and lots of book signings…

The visitors of the Göteborg Book Fair rallied around for Barbro Lindgren’s program yesterday, all of them were very well attended. The day began with a public conversation at the Swedish Arts Council’s stage with jury member Mats Kempe. Then, the time just flew with a full agenda, lots of book signings and many, many fans wanted to speak with Barbro and show their appreciation.

The obvious question on most scenes was, of course, about if Barbro Lindgren’s life had changed in any way after the announcement of the ALMA. The answer was that now almost everything was back to normal. Almost. Except that more people recognize her. (“I didn´t think I could write for a while. But after a few weeks I was able to get started again.”)

The day ended with a 45 minute-seminar in a crowded Seminar Hall with jury member Maria Lassén-Seger. The conversation was among other things about Barbro Lindgren’s childhood and how it has affected her writing, but also about her ability to speak directly to the child, whether she is offering amusing escapades or more serious reflections.

“I’m not interested in others than the underdogs. Happy childhoods are not for me. ”

Two younger fans asking for autographs.

Interview at Daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter’s stage.

Preparing for the final seminar with Maria Lassén-Seger.

Maria Lassén-Seger and Barbro Lindgren.

Children’s Right to Culture at the Göteborg Book Fair next week

Heads up for this year’s edition of the Göteborg Book Fair! Focusing on reading promotion, the Swedish Arts Council will present a much bigger stage – Ung scen (Stage for the Young) – than usual, an over 170 square meter stand and an extensive program. The overall theme is Children’s Right to Culture, which makes the program a continuation of the venture of the Bologna Book Fair 2013, when the Sweden was guest of honor. A lot of organisations have been envolved in the program planning: other authorities, agencies, publishers and reading promoters, and also organisations whitin sports, the media and schools. Eva Ottosson, project manager at the Swedish Arts Council:

– The point is that we need to engage people. When we engage and use the platforms, venues and powers that we already have, we´ve got a strong joint movement for children’s rights to culture and young people’s reading.

Another topic which permeates this year’s program is the 25 year celebration of the UN Rights of the Child. The CRC recognizes the individual child’s right to participate feely in cultural life and arts. Signatory States should respect and promote this right. They should also encourage the availability of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural and artistic activities.

– Seemingly, this is obvious, but in practice it is not always easy, says Eva Ottosson. What do we mean by these fine and important words?

Johan Unenge. Photo: Jonas Hallqvist

The previous – and present – laureates of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award will be presented in the stand, and this year’s laureate Barbro Lindgren will participate in a full program on Thursday, September 25. Among many many interesting lectures and seminars, we look forward to listen to Johan Unenge on the first day of the fair. Johan is an author, former National Ambassador for Reading and new “reading coach” for reading promotion project “Pause”, a collaboration between the Swedish Arts Council and the sports movement to inspire young athletes to read books in their spare time.

A longer seminar will focus on children’s right to culture celebrating 25 years. Under the headline Vision and reality, a talk on how to ensure children’s right to culture is conducted by author and illustrator Pernilla Stalfelt, poet Daniel Boyacioglu, UNICEF Program Manager Christina Heilborn, Sylvia Blomberg and Benny Marcel, Head of Department of Arts and Culture at the Swedish Arts Council.

Meet Barbro Lindgren at Göteborg Book Fair September 25

Barbro Lindgren will participate in the following program at the Göteborg Book Fair on Thursday September 25. The entire program is in Swedish.

10.30-10.50 Ung Scen, A-hallen
Conversation with author and jury member Mats Kempe.

11.00-11.30 Vi Läser, B06:59
Conversation with journalist and editor Yukiko Duke.

12.10-12.30 Dagens Nyheter, F01:39
Conversation with journalist Lotta Olsson.

13.30-13.55 Se människan, G-hallen plan 2
Conversation with journalist and producer Erika Hedenström.

14.15-14.25 Rabén & Sjögren, B05:22
Conversation with Moa Brunnberg, publisher at Rabén&Sjögren.

15.00-15.45 Seminar, K1
Conversation with literary scholar and jury member Maria Lassén-Seger.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award also arranges the following seminars at Ung Scen stage, Hall A.

Friday September 26
16.00-16.20 How do we promote children’s apetite for reading?
Conversation between Reza Saleh, Colette van Luik, Berättarministeriet and Helen Sigeland, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Saturday September 27
13.00-13.20 Meet Boel Westin, new chairperson of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Jury
A conversation between Professor Boel Westin and Lotta Brilioth Biörnstad, coordinator of Children’s Culture at the Swedish Arts Council.

You are most welcome to the exhibition of Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award at Göteborg Book Fair September 25-28, Ung scen, Hall A.

Barbro Lindgren to Göteborg Book Fair

Photo: Stefan Tell

Meet Barbro Lindgren at the Göteborg Book Fair in Gothenburg. On Thursday, September 25, she participates in a seminar about imagination and the conditions of freedom and writing with jury member Maria Lassén-Seger, critic of children’s literature and librarian at Åbo Academy University. She will also participate in a number of short public talks on Ung scen (Young Stage) and will visit other exhibitor’s stands at the fair in the program for Thursday.

The laureate’s participation is part of the Swedish Arts Council’s commitment to a program with focus on children’s and young adult literature and reading promotion. Under the theme Children’s Right to Culture workshops, exhibitions and lectures are arranged at Ung scen (Young Stage) in Hall A at the book fair.

A detailed program for Barbro Lindgren’s participation will be published on the ALMA web in September.

Photo: Stefan Tell

Reflections from Göteborg Book Fair by guest blogger Lotta Brilioth

We asked Lotta Brilioth Biörnstad, coordinator for children’s culture at the Swedish Arts Council, to share some of her reflections from the book fair:

During the last days of September literature is celebrated at the Göteborg Book Fair. The first two days most of the visitors are librarians, authors, policymakers, publishers and other advocates for literature. For me, going there is like being a kid again, with my own toy store. So many interesting seminars, so many good news (yes, there are problems too), so many smart, hardworking, competent people looking for new, wonderful children’s books and for useful methods to make children read.

Yesterday the Minister of Culture, Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, presented a government bill on literature. Among other things it proposes a new commission for the Arts Council to promote childrens literature “on a national, strategic, level”. Childrens’ reading is really on the agenda these days. Like every other European country we are worried about the fact that the number of poor readers is increasing. Especially teenage boys read less. During the last two days I have listened to scholars, teachers, authors and librarians adressing the problem. A depressing thing is a new investigation that shows that many teachers read very little, or not at all. Librarians, on the contrary, read much more than the average citizen. Even children read quite a lot, but a great part of it is short texts on the internet, on the mobile phone, while playing computer games.

We need to make teachers read, organize modern school libraries, with professional librarians, promote cooperation between public libraries and schools and, of course, make sure that all those fantastic books reach the children. One of the solutions is to start seeing new media as a useful tool instead of a threat to “real” books. But, personally, I’m old fashioned enough to prefer paper books. Do I need to say that my suitcase was stuffed with books, when I left Gothenburg to take the train back to Stockholm. I will spend the rest of the weekend curled up in the sofa, traveling only in my mind.

Lotta Brilioth Biörnstad
Coordinator for children’s culture
Swedish Arts Council

Signe Westin from the Swedish Arts Council with Minister for Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth

A few questions…

Seminars, books signings, interviews….

The first thing on Thursday’s agenda was a public talk with author and jury member Mats Kempe in one of the book fair’s largest auditoriums. Isol talked about her first works, what inspired her and what influenced her when she was younger, but also about works like Petit, the monster, Vida de Perros, and It’s useful to have a Duck.

Next stop was the book fair’s big venture in the children’s lit department; being guest of honour when the Swedish Minister for Culture, Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth revealed the new Reading Ambassador after Johan Unenge (congratulations Johanna Lindbäck!).

The rest of the afternoon contained book signings and interviews, among these Isol participated in the live podcast “In bed with Brodrej” for the daily newspaper Expressen where she and journalist Gunilla Brodrej actually were lying down on a sofa the entire interview…

Isol to Sweden and Göteborg Book Fair

In four weeks Isol is coming to Sweden to participate in the Göteborg Book Fair (September 26-29). The programme includes seminars, discussions and workshops with children among other things. This morning, the award office released the following information:

– We tried to satisfy as many target groups as possible when planning her agenda, says Helen Sigeland, Director of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Many people are curious about her artistry and Isol is also interested in meeting Swedish colleagues and readers.

A talk with author and jury member Mats Kempe on September 26 is one of the highlights of Isol’s programme. She is also guest of honor when Minister for Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth opens the reading promotion project The Children’s Square, where the new Swedish Reading Ambassador is presented. Isol also participates in several public conversations and leads workshops for children organised by Gothenburg City Library and The Frölunda House of Culture.

Isol is a multi-rewarded illustrator, cartoonist, graphic artist, author, singer and composer. Since her debut in 1997, she has published about 10 own titles and has illustrated a similar number of published works by other authors. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages.

It was announced that Isol is the laureate 2013 on March 26 and she received the award at a ceremony in the Stockholm Concert Hall on May 27. Several of Isol’s books have since the announcement been published in Swedish.

 

Work in progress

Cecilia Eriksson, Swedish Arts Council, Helen Sigeland and David Nygård, ALMA, Aleksandra Stratimirovic and Minja Smajic from jobbajobba.

Five weeks to go before  the opening of Göteborg Book Fair. As you can see, thinking caps are on during this morning’s production meeting with creatives from design studio JobbaJobba. Mission: to create visual design for this year’s stand for the Swedish Arts Council and ALMA. How will ALMA promote this year’s laureate Isol? Will there be rocking chairs? The result will be posted on this blog on September 26.