Russian applicants for the Astrid Lindgren Award

FRANKFURT. The Astrid Lindgren Prize Organizing Committee announced a list of nominees for 2017.

The term “Little Nobel” in relation to the Lindgren Prize, established in 2002 in honor of the beloved storyteller, does not seem like a hyperbole. In terms of importance, the amount of cash reward (5 million kroons), the number and level of talent of the nominated Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of children’s and youth literature. The main difference from many book awards: the encouragement of a writer or artist in the totality of his work. The Russian team is inferior in number to the nominee groups from the USA, France, Sweden, Norway, South Africa, although there is no shortage of one-sixth in talented prose writers, poets, and illustrators. Self-nominated, according to the rules, are not allowed to the competition. Voting results will be announced in early April next year.

The victory of each of the Russian candidates is the expected justice in relation to exceptionally talented people. Among them - the classic of children’s literature Vladislav Krapivin, whose books, smart, sincere, not ingratiating and not instructing, were read by millions of teenagers. And they entered the children’s detachment “Caravel” created by him in order to fight against meanness and cruelty. The presence on the list of Nina Dashevskaya, winner of the Krapivinsky Prize for the novel "Willy" is symbolic. The main place of work of a musician with a conservative education is the Natalia Sats Theater Orchestra. Literary creativity is more than a hobby, just another facet of talent. Her books are about nurturing feelings, friendship, good conquering evil, and music. Arthur Givargizov is a poet, prose writer, playwright, who has published more than 20 collections. Alexander Traugot is a representative of the famous dynasty of artists. Tales of Andersen, Gauf, the Brothers Grimm, Pushkin, Meterlink with their illustrations - a welcome gift, decoration of the home library, bibliographic rarity. The artist and designer Sergey Lyubaev not only creates wonderful illustrations for the works of Twain, Gogol, Tolkien, Chukovsky, but also works on the font and harmony of the elements of the internal structure of books.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru