David Almond, the British author of Skelig, was selected by children’s literature experts from around the globe as the winner of the most prestigious prize that can be won by a child author.
Previously, Almond has also been honoured with a Whitbread children’s prize and the Carnegie medal for Skellig which is the story of a young boy who finds an angel in his garage.
The award is given out by the International Board on Books for Young People for the complete repertoire of books that an author has completed and in the past has been awarded to Tove Jansson, Eleanor Farjeon, and Astrid Lindgreen.
Almond was surprised by his selection noting that it is amazing that he received the award. He stated that since he had not heard anything from the organizers of the prize he had figured that the winner was already selected and it was not him.
The jury on the award committee praised Almond for creating a magical coven for children that allowed their imaginations to mix reality with fantasy and stated that he has a unique voice that shines through in each of his novels. The jury also commented that he is a master of using language and that his works motivate children to critically think while reading.
Also announced today was the winner of a similar medal for illustrators, Jutta Bauer from Germany who was praised for her creativity, original approach, and ability to reach children through her illustrations.
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