Joy Cowley one of five authors shortlisted for world's most prestigious children's literature award

Joy Cowley one of five authors shortlisted for world's most prestigious children's literature award - the Hans Christian Andersen  - announced 1.30am Tuesday 27 March NZ time

 

New Zealand is gearing up to hear if beloved children’s author Joy Cowley (81) will win the world’s leading children’s literature award, the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, given by the global children’s literature organisation IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People). Joy Cowley joins four other nominees, Marie-Aude Murail (France), Farhad Hassanzadeh (Iran), Ulf Stark (Sweden) and Eiko Kadano (Japan), selected from authors from 33 countries.   Presented for an outstanding and lasting contribution to world children’s literature, the award will be announced at the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair on Monday 26 March 14:30 CET - (NZ time 1.30am Tuesday 27 March). To view the presentation via LIVE STREAMING click on LINK   “Storylines, which is the New Zealand Section of IBBY, is delighted that its Patron Joy Cowley, so recently acknowledged with the Order of New Zealand, has now been acknowledged internationally with this shortlisting for the 2018 Hans Christian Andersen Award”, says Storylines chair Dr Libby Limbrick. “No writer has done more to promote children’s reading and love of books with both her tireless advocacy and literally hundreds of published stories so appealing to two generations of young readers.”    The Andersen award is judged by an international jury on each author’s entire body of work, its aesthetic and literary quality, freshness, innovation, the ability to see the child's point of view and to stretch their curiosity, and the continuing relevance of the books to children and young people. In a lifetime of writing for children, Joy Cowley, recently awarded New Zealand’s top honour, the Order of New Zealand, has published around 800 ‘school readers,’ more than 40 picture books, some 20 novels for children and young adults, plays and poetry.  Her books, especially the educational texts, have been translated into multiple languages, and she is regarded in many countries, particularly USA, as a leading advocate for children’s literacy. Over more than two decades, she has travelled extensively, conducting workshops as well as consultancy work on writing for emergent readers in many countries including Korea, Singapore, Brunei and Hong Kong. She is the second New Zealander to be acknowledged by IBBY.  The Hans Christian Andersen Medal for writing was won by Margaret Mahy in 2006.   The 2018 award will be presented at the 36th IBBY Congress in Athens, Greece on Friday, 31 August.  The organisation, the oldest and most prestigious body working for children’s books, has a membership of 75 countries.           For more information, please contact: Dr Libby Limbrick, DipTch,PhD,MNZM 021 358 413 or 09 358 4431 l.limbrick@auckland.ac.nz or Margaret Samuels, Lighthouse PR 027-417-7211 margaret@lighthousepr.co.nz or Lorraine Steele, Lighthouse PR 021 859 805 lorraine@lighthousepr.co.nz (Friday 23 March only)