Have a look through our complete list of nominees—a full 262 names from 68 countries including some of the world's foremost creators of literature for children and young people, as well as reading promoters. The new laureate will be announced on 30 March, 2021.
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is rewarding authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and reading promoters who have been nominated by organisations worldwide. The ALMA list contains both living legends and future stars. Their works contain wonderful adventures and everyday observations full of emotion and psychological insight, brilliant visual art and humorous masterpieces. The list also includes reading promotion activities from several continents whose work fulfils a critically important function for the future of children’s literature globally.
“Now more than ever, children and young people need access to literature that puts the world in perspective. The ALMA list has a fantastic breadth, quality and diversity”, says jury chairman Boel Westin.
In 2021, 262 nominees from 68 countries spread over 6 continents are in the running for the award. The candidates are presented in alphabetical order sorted by country. Links lead to external websites with more information about the candidate, often in the candidate's language. Missing someone's website? Email us at literatureaward@alma.se
Nominating bodies for the 2021 award (pdf)
Sayyed Nader Musavi, Promoter of reading
Stavri Pone, Author
Maria Teresa Andruetto, Author
Pablo Bernasconi, Author/Illustrator
CEDILIJ, Organisation
Jorge Luján, Author
María Wernicke, Author/Illustrator
Jeannie Baker, Illustrator
Ursula Dubosarsky, Author
Susanne Gervay, Author
Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Organisation
Margo Lanagan, Author
Magabala Books, Organisation
Renate Welsh, Author
Linda Wolfsgruber, Illustrator
Lisbeth Zwerger, Illustrator
Aynur Mammadova, Illustrator
Sevinj Nurugizi, Author
Aysel Valiyeva, Promoter of reading
Reyhan Yusifqizi, Author
Anne Brouillard, Author/Illustrator
Carll Cneut, Illustrator
Ingrid Godon, Illustrator
Anne Herbauts, Author/Illustrator
Thomas Lavachery, Author
Mirsad Bećirbašić, Author
Šimo Ešić, Author
Marija Fekete-Sullivan, Author
Elmira Mekić, Author
Roger Mello, Author/Illustrator
Kapka Kaneva, Illustrator
Julia Spiridonova, Author
Christian Epanya, Author/Illustrator
Isabelle Arsenault, Author/Illustrator
Deborah Ellis, Author
Sarah Ellis, Author
Jacques Goldstyn, Author/Illustrator
Uma Krishnaswami, Author
Eric Walters, Author
Nahid Kazemi, Illustrator
Jon Klassen, Author/Illustrator
Liang Xiong, Author/Illustrator
Wenjun Qin, Author
Zhang Zhilu, Author
Biblioburro (Luis Sorrano), Organisation
Silvia Castrillón Zapata, Promoter of reading
Ivar Da Coll, Author/Illustrator
Proyecto Gulliver, Organisation
Yolanda Reyes, Author
Dominique Mwankumi, Author/Illustrator
Dubravka Kolanović, Illustrator
Hambis Tsangaris, Illustrator
Petr Nikl, Author/Illustrator
Květa Pacovská, Illustrator
Kim Fupz Aakeson, Author
Lilian Brøgger, Illustrator
Marianne Iben Hansen, Author
Dorte Karrebæk, Illustrator
Charlotte Pardi, Illustrator
Julia Álvarez, Author/Oral storyteller
Biblioteca Infantil y Juvenil República Dominicana, Organisation
Randa El Sawi, Oral storyteller
Andrus Kivirähk, Author
Marja-Liisa Plats, Illustrator
Linda Bondestam, Illustrator
Marika Maijala, Author/Illustrator
Timo Parvela, Author
Salla Simukka, Author
Maria Turtschaninoff, Author
Agence quand les livres reliant, Organisation
Association Encrages, Organisation
Olivier Douzou, Author/Illustrator
Timothée de Fombelle, Author
Bernard Friot, Author
Jean-Claude Mourlevat, Author
Marie-Aude Murail, Author
Geneviéve Patte, Promoter of reading
François Place, Author/Illustrator
François Roca, Illustrator
Irma Malatsidze, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading
Bondo Matsaberidze, Author
Nikozi Saint Alexander Okropiridze Art School, Organisation
Tea Topuria, Author
Mariam Tsiklauri, Author
Jutta Bauer, Illustrator
Nikolaus Heidelbach, Illustrator
Internationale Jugendbibliothek, Organisation
Janosch, Author/Illustrator
Labor Ateliergemeinschaft, Organisation
Andreas Steinhöfel, Author
Stiftung Lesen, Organisation
Vassilis Papatheodorou, Author/Promoter of reading
Antonis Papatheodoulou, Author
Loty Petrovits-Andrutsopulou, Author
Iris Samartzi, Illustrator/Promoter of reading
Naja Rosing-Asvid, Author/Illustrator
Lene Therkildsen, Promoter of reading
Judit Berg, Author
Tibor Kárpati, Illustrator
Sigrún Eldjárn, Author/Illustrator
A & A Book Trust, Organisation
Pratham Books, Organisation
Abdolhakim Bahar, Promoter of reading
Mehdi Hejvani, Promoter of reading
Jamshid Khanian, Author
Mobile Library, Organisation
Houshang Moradi Kermani, Author
Read with me, Organisation
Mohammad Reza Shams, Author
Aliasghar Seidabadi, Promoter of reading
Farshid Shafiei, Illustrator
Hamidreza Shahabadi Farahani, Author
Marie Louise Fitzpatrick, Author/Illustrator
PJ Lynch, Author
Siobhán Parkinson, Author/Promoter of reading
Sheena Wilkinson, Author
Rutu Modan, Author/Illustrator
Chiara Carminati, Author
Museo della gente della Val Resia, Organisation
Angela Nanetti, Author
Luigia Negro & Sandro Quaglia, Oral storytellers
Elena Pasoli, Promoter of reading
Roberto Piumini, Author
Beatrice Alemagna, Author/Illustrator
Satoshi Kitamura, Illustrator/Promoter of reading
Kyoko Matsuoka, Promoter of reading
Rumiko Takahashi, Author/Illustrator
Seizo Tashima, Illustrator
Taghrid al-Najjar, Author
Kim Jung-mi, Author
Korean Children’s Book Association, Organisation
Anete Melece, Illustrator
Gita Treice, Illustrator http://www.gitatreice.lv/#/?page=56&index=0
Fatima Sharafeddine, Author
Kęstutis Kasparavičius, Author/Illustrator
Ion Creanga National Children's Library, Organisation
Sundui Oyunbadam, Author
De SchrijversCentrale, Organisation
Annemarie van Haeringen, Author/Illustrator
Joke van Leeuwen, Author/Illustrator
Ted van Lieshout, Author/Illustrator
Gideon Samson, Author
Marit Törnqvist, Author/Illustrator
Edward van de Vendel, Author
German Nicaraguan Library and the “Bibliobús Bertolt Brecht”, Organisation
Atinuke, Author/Oral storyteller
Rune Belsvik, Author
Gro Dahle, Author
Harald Rosenløw Eeg, Author
Stian Hole, Author/Illustrator
Marit Kaldhol, Author
Leser søker bok, Organisation
Gry Moursund, Author/Illustrator
Svein Nyhus, Author/Illustrator
Maria Parr, Author
Bjørn F. Rørvik, Author
Øyvind Torseter, Illustrator
Trøndelag County Library, Organisation
Sonia Nimr, Author
Philippines
Virgilio Almario, Author
Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, Promoter of reading
Iwona Chmielewska, Illustrator
Daniel de Latour, Illustrator
Paweł Pawlak, Illustrator
Małgorzata Karolina Piekarska, Author
Małgorzata Strękowska-Zaremba, Author
Marcin Szczygielski, Author
Józef Wilkoń, Illustrator
Bernardo P. Carvalho, Illustrator
Cristina Carvalho, Author
Luísa Ducla Soares, Author
António Jorge Gonçalves, Illustrator
Maria Teresa Maia Gonzalez, Author
André Letria, Illustrator
Catarina Sobral, Illustrator
Florin Bican, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading
Andrea Kürti, Illustrator
Anamaria Smigelschi, Author/Illustrator
Done Stan, Illustrator
Evgeny Antonenkov, Illustrator
Anastasia Arkhipova, Illustrator
Eugenia Basova, Author
Mikhail Bychkov, Illustrator
Nina Dashevskaya, Author
Alexandra Litvina, Author
Sozidanije Foundation, Organisation
Anna Starobinets, Author
Alexander Traugot, Illustrator
Mikhail Yasnov, Author
Jasminka Petrović, Author
Ljubivoje Ršumović, Author
Svetlana Makarović, Author
Slavko Pregl, Author/Promoter of reading
Alenka Sottler, Illustrator
Anja Štefan, Author/Oral storyteller
Book Dash, Organisation
Niki Daly, Author/illustrator
Gcina Mhlophe, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading
Kagiso Lesego Molope, Author
Beverley Naidoo, Author
Bibliotecas Escolares de Galicia, Organisation
Paula Carballeira, Oral storyteller
Jacqueline Molnár, Illustrator
Elena Odriozola, Illustrator
Jordi Sierra i Fabra, Author
Salah Elmur, Illustrator
Eva Eriksson, Illustrator
Gunna Grähs, Illustrator
Joanna Hellgren, Illustrator
Olof Landström, Illustrator
Pija Lindenbaum, Author/Illustrator
Eva Lindström, Author/Illustrator
Gunilla Lundgren, Promoter of reading
Frida Nilsson, Author
Klara Persson, Author/Illustrator
Anna-Clara Tidholm, Illustrator
Cecilia Torudd, Author/Illustrator
Jakob Wegelius, Author/Illustrator
Ilon Wikland, Illustrator
Monica Zak, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading
Albertine, Illustrator
Franz Hohler, Author
Jimmy Liao, Author/Illustrator
Behiç Ak, Author/Illustrator
Aytül Akal, Author
Huban Korman, Illustrator
Feridun Oral, Author/Illustrator
Kateryna Shtanko, Illustrator
Lesia Voronyna, Author
Allan Ahlberg, Author
David Almond, Author
Arts Council of Wales (ACW), Organisation
Malorie Blackman, Author
Quentin Blake, Illustrator
Theresa Breslin, Author
Anthony Browne, Author/Illustrator
Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, Organisation
Aidan Chambers, Author/Promoter of reading
Juno Dawson, Author
Emily Gravett, Author/Illustrator
Daniel Hahn, Promoter of reading
Frances Hardinge, Author
Shirley Hughes, Author/Illustrator
Margaret Jones, Illustrator
Patrick Ness, Author
Michael Rosen, Author/Promoter of reading
Katherine Rundell, Author
John Shelley, Illustrator
Verna Wilkins, Author
Elizabeth Acevedo, Author/Oral storyteller
Laurie Halse Anderson, Author
Children’s Literature for Children, Organisation
Kate DiCamillo, Author
Margarita Engle, Author
Maira Kalman, Author/Illustrator
Christopher Myers, Author/Illustrator
Margaret Read MacDonald, Author /Oral storyteller
David Wiesner, Illustrator
Jane Yolen, Author
Lubuto Library Partners, Organisation
Ken Wilson-Max, Illustrator
