Children have the right to great stories
To lose yourself in a story is to find yourself in the grip of an irresistible power. A power that provokes thought, unlocks language and allows the imagination to roam free. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was created in 2002 by the Swedish government to promote every child’s right to great stories.
This global award is given annually to a person or organisation for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature. With a prize of five million Swedish kronor, it is the largest award of its kind. Above all else, it highlights the importance of reading, today and for future generations.
A short film about the award
In memory of Astrid Lindgren
Few have done more for the right of children to a rich inner life than Astrid Lindgren. The creator of stories beloved the world over, she was a renewer of children’s literature. She was also a steadfast humanist who made her voice heard in the public debate, speaking with moral conviction, with humor, and always with her focus on children and their future. When, in 2002 at the age of 94, her voice finally fell silent, the Swedish Government decided to found an award to honour her memory and to promote interest in children’s and young adult literature around the world.
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is administered by the Swedish Arts Council. The award office is responsible for communication, support to the jury, finances and all activities related to the award. The laureates are chosen by a twelve-member expert jury.
Highest level of artistic excellence
Astrid Lindgren was prominent in the development of children’s literature as an art form. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is awarded to those who continue to work in her spirit: with imagination, bravery, respect and empathy, and maintaining the highest level of artistic excellence. The attention of the award leads to more translations and to more children having access to high-quality literature—entertaining, innovative, challenging, or complex.
The prize amount of SEK 5,000,000 ($513,000) is a signal to the world that Sweden takes children’s reading very seriously. Reading books in translation fosters understanding among people and cultures. Children’s and young adult's access to literature is a precondition for democracy and openness. Literature opens the door to new worlds and has the ability to increase understanding and exchange between cultures and people.
Astrid Lindgren was living proof of what that can mean. Her work will continue to build bridges between people, across generations and cultures, for many years to come.
The spirit of Astrid Lindgren
The statutes of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award stipulate that laureates shall be authors, illustrators, storytellers or reading promoters whose work or activity for children and young adults is “of the highest artistic quality” and “conveys the deeply humanistic spirit associated with Astrid Lindgren.”
Read more about the spirit of Astrid Lindgren
Discover our laureates
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is awarded to authors, illustrators and narrators, but also to people or organizations that work to promote reading.
Find out more about the laureates
Jury with extensive knowledge
Rewarding the highest-quality work demands an expert knowledge of international children’s and YA literature as well as children’s rights and children’s reading. The twelve-member expert jury has the challenging but pleasant task of evaluating some of the world's most prominent candidates each year and selecting a laureate.
Find out more about the jury
The diplomas
Apart from the prize sum of 5 million Swedish kronor, the laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award also receives a diploma, illustrated by a Swedish illustrator and, in most cases, hand-lettered by a calligrapher.
See all the diplomas
Astrid Lindgren
“Curious” is a word that Astrid Lindgren often used in her work. Curious is a word that also aptly describes Astrid herself and her life’s achievement. For it is curious, surely, that a farmer’s daughter from Sweden, from the spare and stony countryside of Småland, should grow up to become an author beloved around the globe, translated into nearly 100 languages, and lauded by readers of all ages.
Learn more about Astrid Lindgren