The jury’s motivation is as follows:

“In a true pioneering spirit, with ingenuity and a sheer determination, the Banco del Libro has constantly sought new ways of disseminating books and promoting reading among children in Venezuela. Enthusiasm, professionalism, closeness to the children and a refreshing lack of bureaucracy are the hallmarks of the Banco del Libro’s work, whether in shanty towns, mountain villages, universities or out in cyberspace.”

Press photographs and further information about the award winner can be found at the Award website www.alma.se, and the organisation’s own website: www.bancodellibro.org.ve. Press material is available in French, German, Spanish and Swedish. Please see the attached presentation.

Now in its fifth year, the award will be presented, like previous years, by HRH Crown Princess Victoria at the prize ceremony on 30 May 2007 at Skansen in Stockholm. Also attending will be the Swedish Minister for Culture, Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth. The ceremony is open to the general public.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), established by the Swedish Government in 2002, is the world’s largest children’s and young people’s literary award. The annual international prize of SEK 5 million (equivalent to approx. USD 700,000, 540,000 Euros) may be awarded to authors, illustrators, narrators and/or promoters of reading whose work reflects the spirit of Astrid Lindgren. The object of the award is to increase interest in children’s and young people’s literature, and to promote children’s rights to culture on a global level. The award is administered by The Swedish Arts Council. Last year’s award winner was the American author Katherine Paterson.

Banco del Libro

Banco del Libro is a non-profit institution headquartered in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. The foundations were laid in 1960, when a centre was set up for the exchange of textbooks – hence the name Banco del Libro, which means Book Bank. Since then, with great creativity and flexibility, Banco del Libro has grown and branched out to promote reading in Venezuela, in every conceivable arena and genre of children’s literature.

For almost half a century, the Banco del Libro, through its many and various projects, has passed on books and stimulated an appetite for reading and writing among countless numbers of children and young people. They have also constructed model libraries, started up school library networks, founded a publishing company specialising in children’s literature and published magazines and other publications. Banco del Libro runs Latin America’s biggest documentation centre for children’s literature and functions as a nursery for young researchers, authors, illustrators and others. The Institution has made a lasting impact on the world of children’s literature in Venezuela, and its work has inspired many successors in Latin America and other parts of the world.

Banco del Libro has received the following awards: IBBY’s ASAHI Reading Promotion Award 1988 and IFLA’s Cuust van Wesemael Award 2003.

A presentation of Banco del Libro

Presentation in pictures (989 bytes)

Contact:
Mr Larry Lempert
Chairman of the Award Jury
E-Mail: +46 (0)76 123 12 20
E-post: larry.lempert@kultur.stockholm.se

Mrs Anna Cokorilo
Director, Award Office
Phone: +46 (0)70 602 51 15, +46 (0)8 519 264 00/08
E-Mail: anna.cokorilo@alma.se

Mr Gustaf Brickman
Information Officer/Project Manager, Award Office
Phone: +46 (0)76 540 10 17, +46 (0)8 519 264 00/17
E-Mail: gustaf.brickman@alma.se