Fast facts

Astrid Lindgren med armarna i kors bakom huvudet

Photo: Roine Karlsson

Who founded the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award? How many laureates have been awarded? Here's 10 fast facts about the award.

1. The award was created by the Swedish government in 2002, the year that Astrid Lindgren passed away.

2. The prize amount is five million Swedish kronor (about 462,000 euros, 400,000 British pounds or 550,000 US dollars), making it the largest award of its kind.

3. It is awarded to authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and people or organisations that work with reading promotion.

4. It is given annually and the laureates are selected by a twelve-member expert jury.

5. Candidates are nominated by organisations and institutions from all over the world.

6. The jury and previous laureates also have the right to suggest candidates.

7. The award is presented by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, at a solemn ceremony in Stockholm.

8. The name of the award is usually abbreviated ALMA.

9. Maurice Sendak (USA) and Christine Nöstlinger (Austria) were the first laureates to receive the award.

10. It is administrated by the Swedish Arts Council.

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

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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

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