For the first time we will be hosting the James Krüss Prize Ceremony here at the International Youth Library, and it is a great honour for all involved. This year’s winner has been named as Joke van Leeuwen. The prize takes it’s name from a famous German children’s author, about whom you can find some intersting details below:
Did you know…
- James Krüss was not only a children’s author and illustrator but also a poet, dramatist, scriptwriter, translator and collector of children’s poems and folk songs
- In 1968 James Krüss was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing, in recognition of his lasting contribution to children’s literature
- James Krüss trained to be a teacher but never worked as one
- James Krüss published his first book, Der Goldene Faden, in 1946 and his first children’s book in 1956. Altogether he wrote or edited close to 160 books in his lifetime, most of which are for children
- James Krüss lived on an island in the North Sea called Helgoland until he was a teenager
- In 1944 James Krüss was drafted into the air force
- Timm Thaler, a novel by James Krüss, was adapted into a t.v. series in 1979, 17 years after it was first published
- James Krüss lived in the Spanish island Gran Canaria from 1966 until his death in 1997
- James Krüss was buried at sea
- James Krüss won the German Youth Literature Prize in both 1960 and 1964
- James Krüss’ children’s books have been translated into over 30 languages
- One can borrow James Krüss books in seven languages from the International Youth Library
- The International Youth Library has a James Krüss tower. Here one can see the first editions of his children’s books in many languages as well as numerous items that belonged to the author
© Conrad Piepenburg
Internationale Jugendbibliothek / International Youth Library 