The laureates
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is awarded to authors, illustrators and storytellers, but also to people or organizations that work to promote reading. Here you can find out more about all of our laureates!
Photo: Susanne KronholmLaureates
Children create miracles when they read.
Children have the right to great stories
To lose yourself in a story is to find yourself in the grip of an irresistible power. A power that provokes thought, unlocks language and allows the imagination to roam free. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was created in 2002 by the Swedish government to promote every child’s right to great stories.
Find out more about the award
The diplomas
Apart from the prize sum of 5 million Swedish kronor, the laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award also receives a diploma, illustrated by a Swedish illustrator and, in most cases, hand-lettered by a calligrapher.
See all the diplomas
The spirit of Astrid Lindgren
The statutes of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award stipulate that laureates shall be authors, illustrators, storytellers or reading promoters whose work or activity for children and young adults is “of the highest artistic quality” and “conveys the deeply humanistic spirit associated with Astrid Lindgren.”
Read more about the spirit of Astrid Lindgren
Jury with extensive knowledge
Rewarding the highest-quality work demands an expert knowledge of international children’s and YA literature as well as children’s rights and children’s reading. The twelve-member expert jury has the challenging but pleasant task of evaluating some of the world's most prominent candidates each year and selecting a laureate.
Find out more about the jury