Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award – Awardee 2013: Isol

We are happy to present this year’s ALMA awardee Isol. On Wednesday, 22^nd of May Isol will pay us a visit. From 7 pm on the German audience has the opportunity to meet Isol in person.

But what exactly is the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award? Here is the official description by the Swedish Arts Council:
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 recipient or to several. Authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and those active in reading promotion may be rewarded. The award is designed to promote interest in children’s and young adult literature and to strengthen children’s rights globally. An expert jury selects the winners from candidates nominated by institutions and organisations worldwide. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was founded by the Swedish government in 2002 and is administrated by the Swedish Arts Council.

© ALMA

In 2013 the ALMA was given to Isol, illustrator, cartoonist, graphic artist, writer, singer and composer. Isol was born in 1972 and lives and works in Argentina. She studied at the Escuela Nacional “Rogelio Yrurtia” to become a Fine Arts teacher, and spent a few years studying Art at the University of Buenos Aires, a career she finally abandoned to fully devote to her work as an illustrator for media and author of illustrated books for children.

Also this year, the award winner will visit the International Youth Library even before the award ceremony in Stockholm. The event in Munich on May 22^nd will be a fantastic occasion to personally meet Isol and get firsthand information about her work.

Programme of the festive evening:
After the welcome address by Christiane Raabe, director of the International Youth Library, Hildegard Gärtner, head of the Austrian publishing house Jungbrunnen (Vienna), will give a short introduction to Isol’s works. Jungbrunnen published “It’s useful to have a duck” (original edition: „Tener un patito es útil“) in 2012. This title is nominated for the German Children’s Literature Award 2013.

Ill. Isol aus ‚Secreto de Familia‘ l © 2003 Fondo de Cultura Económica

Afterwards, Isol will offer a personal insight into her craft. Her presentation, which will be accompanied by many pictures, will focus both on her work as an illustrator and author of her own books, and on the visual conversion of texts by other authors. This presentation will be held in Spanish with consecutive translation into German.