Nine Rights & Brands represented authors and illustrators nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2025
17 October 2024
Nine Rights & Brands represented authors and illustrators nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2025
We are delighted to share the news that nine Rights and Brands represented authors and illustrators have been nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2025. The full list of nominees was announced this week.
Linda Bondestam, Siri Kolu, Annika Sandelin, Jenny Lucander, Marika Maijala, Sanna Pelliccioni (Finland), Arndís Þórarinsdóttir (Iceland), Sven Nordqvist (Sweden) and Bjørn F. Rørvik (Norway) are among the nominees for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2025. The award was created in 2002 by the Swedish government to promote every child’s right to great stories. The global award is given annually to a person or organisation for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature and is the greatest award for children’s and young adult literature with a prize of 5 million Swedish kronor. It’s administrated by the Swedish Arts Council.
Rights & Brands represent Linda Bondestam, Siri Kolu, Annika Sandelin, Jenny Lucander, Marika Maijala, Sanna Pelliccioni and Arndís Þórarinsdóttir with a focus on publishing and Sven Nordqvist and Bjørn F. Rørvik with a focus on licensing.
Linda Bondestam is one of the most prominent authors and illustrators in the Nordics. She has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award several times, and this is her seventh nomination. Her collaborative work with author Laura Ruohonen The Whole Caboodle published by Förlaget in Swedish and Otava in Finnish is one of the selected White Ravens 2024. Bondestam’s newest picture book Chop Chop – The Story of a Busy Robot (Chop chop – En tapper jordbos berättelse) was published this autumn and the early reviews have been extremely positive.
Siri Kolu is an acclaimed award-winning author. This is her second ALMA nomination. Her successful Robbersons book has been celebrated over the years. It was awarded the 2010 Finlandia Junior Prize and it has received the prestigious English Pen Translation Award twice. The English edition of Me and the Robbersons (translated by Ruth Urbom and published by Stripes Publishing) was one of the selected works on IBBY’s UK Honour Books 2024 List and part of the IBBY Honour List 2024 collection that was introduced at the IBBY Congress in Trieste, Italy, in August 2024. One of Siri Kolu’s most recent works is the startling new YA novel Luminous (Hohtavat, 2024 Tammi), a story about love, secrets and what is beyond one’s own choice. The book is a thought-provoking description of the end of the world, published by Tammi this autumn.
Annika Sandelin is an established author and poet. She’s been nominated for the Nordic Council Prize (2014) and has received prestigious awards including the Anni Swan Meda (2021), one of the oldest children’s literature awards in Finland. Her Swedish translation of the book Otus Opus (Zoologipoesi) made the IBBY International Honorary List in 2022.
Marika Maijala is a celebrated creator and has been awarded various awards, most recently the Illustrator of the Year 2024. She has illustrated several picture books and written three of her own including The Magic Flower (Taikurin kukka) which was among the Most Beautiful Books of Finland (2023), 100 Outstanding Picture Books (2023) and one of the winners of the 58th Illustrators Exhibition. Her Illustrator of the Year award exhibition will be held at the Ahjo Gallery in Espoo’s Cultural Centre later this year in November-December.
Sanna Pelliccioni is an awarded Finnish graphic designer, illustrator and children’s book author. Her collaboration with author Leena Virtanen, the illustrated non-fiction picture book Tove! – Tove Jansson’s Journey to Freedom and the Edge of the World, the latest independent title in the illustrated Finnish Superwomen picture book series was awarded the Queer Non-Fiction Book of the Year in 2023. The Finnish Superwomen series was also shortlisted for the 2024 Anni Swan Award.
Arndís Thórarinsdóttir (Arndís Þórarinsdóttir) is an award-winning Icelandic author and translator. Her multi-awarded YA novel Somersault (Kollhnís) received the Icelandic Literature Prize (2022), the Icelandic Women’s Literature Prize in the Children’s Book category (2023) and The Reykjavík Children’s Book Award (2023), and it was nominated for the Nordic Council Prize in 2022.
Jenny Lucander is a celebrated graphic artist and children’s book creator. This is her fourth nomination for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Her atmospheric illustrations in My Flying Grandma (När farmor flög) complement the warm and moving story by Annika Sandelin.
Sven Nordqvist is the creator of Pettson and Findus, the world-famous children’s book series. He has also illustrated the unique characters Mamma Moo and Crow. Sven Nordqvist has received multiple awards, including the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the August Prize.
Bjørn F. Rørvik is one of the most successful and renowned children’s book authors in Norway and the author of the best-selling Norweigan book series “Bukkene Bruse” (The Brothers Gruff).
We also want to congratulate Mona Henning of Dar Al-Muna, the retired founder of our Arabic Moomin publisher who was also among the nominees.
The total list of nominees includes 265 candidates from 72 countries. Here you can find the entire list of outstanding nominees. The laureate will be announced on 1 April 2025.
Our warmest congratulations to all nominees!
