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.VIDEO
Nominated candidates for the 2021 award
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)
Afghanistan
Sayyed Nader Musavi , Promoter of reading
Albania
Stavri Pone , Author
Argentina
Maria Teresa Andruetto , Author Pablo Bernasconi , Author/Illustrator CEDILIJ, OrganisationJorge Luján , AuthorMaría Wernicke , Author/Illustrator
Australia
Jeannie Baker , Illustrator Ursula Dubosarsky , Author Susanne Gervay , Author Indigenous Literacy Foundation , OrganisationMargo Lanagan , Author Magabala Books , Organisation
Austria
Renate Welsh, AuthorLinda Wolfsgruber , Illustrator Lisbeth Zwerger, Illustrator
Azerbaijan
Aynur Mammadova, Illustrator Sevinj Nurugizi, Author Aysel Valiyeva, Promoter of reading Reyhan Yusifqizi, Author
Belgium
Anne Brouillard, Author/Illustrator Carll Cneut, IllustratorIngrid Godon , Illustrator Anne Herbauts, Author/Illustrator Thomas Lavachery, Author
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mirsad Bećirbašić, Author Šimo Ešić, Author Marija Fekete-Sullivan, Author Elmira Mekić, Author
Brazil
Roger Mello , Author/Illustrator
Bulgaria
Kapka Kaneva, Illustrator Julia Spiridonova, Author
Cameroon
Christian Epanya , Author/Illustrator
Canada
Isabelle Arsenault , Author/Illustrator Deborah Ellis , Author Sarah Ellis, Author Jacques Goldstyn, Author/IllustratorUma Krishnaswami , Author Eric Walters , Author
Canada/Iran
Nahid Kazemi , Illustrator
Canada/United States
Jon Klassen , Author/Illustrator
China
Liang Xiong, Author/Illustrator Wenjun Qin, Author Zhang Zhilu, Author
Colombia
Biblioburro (Luis Sorrano), Organisation Silvia Castrillón Zapata, Promoter of reading Ivar Da Coll, Author/IllustratorProyecto Gulliver , Organisation Yolanda Reyes, Author
Democratic Republic of Congo/United Kingdom
Dominique Mwankumi , Author/Illustrator
Croatia
Dubravka Kolanović , Illustrator
Cyprus
Hambis Tsangaris, Illustrator
Czech Republic
Petr Nikl, Author/Illustrator Květa Pacovská, Illustrator
Denmark
Kim Fupz Aakeson, AuthorLilian Brøgger , Illustrator Marianne Iben Hansen , Author Dorte Karrebæk, IllustratorCharlotte Pardi , Illustrator
Dominican Republic
Julia Álvarez , Author/Oral storyteller Biblioteca Infantil y Juvenil República Dominicana , Organisation
Egypt
Randa El Sawi, Oral storyteller
Estonia
Andrus Kivirähk, Author Marja-Liisa Plats, Illustrator
Finland
Linda Bondestam , Illustrator Marika Maijala , Author/Illustrator Timo Parvela , Author Salla Simukka, AuthorMaria Turtschaninoff , Author
France
Agence quand les livres reliant , Organisation Association Encrages , Organisation Olivier Douzou , Author/Illustrator Timothée de Fombelle , Author Bernard Friot, AuthorJean-Claude Mourlevat , Author Marie-Aude Murail, AuthorGeneviéve Patte , Promoter of reading François Place , Author/Illustrator François Roca, Illustrator
Georgia
Irma Malatsidze, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading Bondo Matsaberidze, Author Nikozi Saint Alexander Okropiridze Art School, OrganisationTea Topuria , Author Mariam Tsiklauri , Author
Germany
Jutta Bauer , Illustrator Nikolaus Heidelbach, IllustratorInternationale Jugendbibliothek , Organisation Janosch, Author/IllustratorLabor Ateliergemeinschaft , Organisation Andreas Steinhöfel, AuthorStiftung Lesen , Organisation
Greece
Vassilis Papatheodorou , Author/Promoter of reading Antonis Papatheodoulou , Author Loty Petrovits-Andrutsopulou , Author Iris Samartzi, Illustrator/Promoter of reading
Greenland
Naja Rosing-Asvid , Author/Illustrator Lene Therkildsen, Promoter of reading
Hungary
Judit Berg , Author Tibor Kárpati , Illustrator
Iceland
Sigrún Eldjárn, Author/Illustrator
India
A & A Book Trust , Organisation Pratham Books , Organisation
Iran
Abdolhakim Bahar , Promoter of reading Mehdi Hejvani, Promoter of reading Jamshid Khanian, Author Mobile Library, Organisation Houshang Moradi Kermani, AuthorRead with me , Organisation Mohammad Reza Shams , Author Aliasghar Seidabadi, Promoter of reading Farshid Shafiei, Illustrator Hamidreza Shahabadi Farahani, Author
Ireland
Marie Louise Fitzpatrick, Author/IllustratorPJ Lynch , Author Siobhán Parkinson, Author/Promoter of reading Sheena Wilkinson, Author
Israel
Rutu Modan, Author/Illustrator
Italy
Chiara Carminati, AuthorMuseo della gente della Val Resia , Organisation Angela Nanetti, AuthorLuigia Negro & Sandro Quaglia , Oral storytellers Elena Pasoli, Promoter of reading Roberto Piumini, Author
Italy/France
Beatrice Alemagna , Author/Illustrator
Japan
Satoshi Kitamura, Illustrator/Promoter of readingKyoko Matsuoka , Promoter of reading Rumiko Takahashi, Author/Illustrator Seizo Tashima, Illustrator
Jordan
Taghrid al-Najjar, Author
Korea
Kim Jung-mi, AuthorKorean Children’s Book Association , Organisation
Latvia
Anete Melece , Illustrator Gita Treice, Illustrator http://www.gitatreice.lv/#/?page=56&index=0
Lebanon/Belgium
Fatima Sharafeddine , Author
Lithuania
Kęstutis Kasparavičius , Author/Illustrator
Moldavia
Ion Creanga National Children's Library , Organisation
Mongolia
Sundui Oyunbadam , Author
Netherlands
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
Nicaragua
German Nicaraguan Library and the “Bibliobús Bertolt Brecht” , Organisation
Nigeria
Atinuke, Author/Oral storyteller
Norway
Rune Belsvik , Author Gro Dahle, AuthorHarald Rosenløw Eeg , Author Stian Hole, Author/IllustratorMarit Kaldhol , Author Leser søker bok , Organisation Gry Moursund, Author/IllustratorSvein Nyhus , Author/Illustrator Maria Parr , Author Bjørn F. Rørvik, Author Øyvind Torseter, Illustrator Trøndelag County Library, Organisation
Palestine
Sonia Nimr, Author Philippines Virgilio Almario, Author Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, Promoter of reading
Poland
Iwona Chmielewska , Illustrator Daniel de Latour, Illustrator Paweł Pawlak, IllustratorMałgorzata Karolina Piekarska , Author Małgorzata Strękowska-Zaremba , Author Marcin Szczygielski, Author Józef Wilkoń, Illustrator
Portugal
Bernardo P. Carvalho , Illustrator Cristina Carvalho , Author Luísa Ducla Soares, AuthorAntónio Jorge Gonçalves , Illustrator Maria Teresa Maia Gonzalez, AuthorAndré Letria , Illustrator Catarina Sobral , Illustrator
Romania
Florin Bican, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of readingAndrea Kürti , Illustrator Anamaria Smigelschi, Author/Illustrator Done Stan, Illustrator
Russian Federation
Evgeny Antonenkov , Illustrator Anastasia Arkhipova, Illustrator Eugenia Basova, AuthorMikhail Bychkov , Illustrator Nina Dashevskaya, Author Alexandra Litvina, Author Sozidanije Foundation, OrganisationAnna Starobinets , Author Alexander Traugot, Illustrator Mikhail Yasnov, Author
Serbia
Jasminka Petrović, Author Ljubivoje Ršumović, Author
Slovenia
Svetlana Makarović, Author Slavko Pregl, Author/Promoter of readingAlenka Sottler , Illustrator Anja Štefan, Author/Oral storyteller
South Africa
Book Dash , Organisation Niki Daly, Author/illustratorGcina Mhlophe , Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading Kagiso Lesego Molope , Author
South Africa/United Kingdom
Beverley Naidoo, Author
Spain
Bibliotecas Escolares de Galicia , Organisation Paula Carballeira , Oral storyteller Jacqueline Molnár, IllustratorElena Odriozola , Illustrator Jordi Sierra i Fabra , Author
Sudan
Salah Elmur , Illustrator
Sweden
Eva Eriksson , Illustrator Gunna Grähs, IllustratorJoanna Hellgren , Illustrator Olof Landström, Illustrator Pija Lindenbaum, Author/Illustrator Eva Lindström, Author/IllustratorGunilla Lundgren , Promoter of readingFrida Nilsson , Author Klara Persson , Author/Illustrator Anna-Clara Tidholm , Illustrator Cecilia Torudd, Author/IllustratorJakob Wegelius , Author/Illustrator Ilon Wikland, Illustrator Monica Zak, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading
Switzerland
Albertine, Illustrator Franz Hohler, Author
Taiwan
Jimmy Liao , Author/Illustrator
Turkey
Behiç Ak , Author/Illustrator Aytül Akal , Author Huban Korman , Illustrator Feridun Oral, Author/Illustrator
Ukraine
Kateryna Shtanko, Illustrator Lesia Voronyna, Author
United Kingdom
Allan Ahlberg, AuthorDavid Almond , Author Arts Council of Wales (ACW), OrganisationMalorie 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, IllustratorPatrick Ness , Author Michael Rosen, Author/Promoter of readingKatherine Rundell , Author John Shelley, Illustrator Verna Wilkins, Author
United States
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 storytellerDavid Wiesner , Illustrator Jane Yolen , Author
Zambia
Lubuto Library Partners , Organisation
Zimbabwe
Ken Wilson-Max , Illustrator