Hans Christian Andersen Award

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator whose complete body of work has made a lasting contribution to literature for children and young people. Often called the 'Little Nobel Prize' for children's literature, the award was established in 1956 by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) and has been presented biennially ever since. The award is named after the Danish fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875), one of the most beloved children's authors in history. Two awards are given at each presentation: one to a living author and one to a living illustrator. Candidates are nominated by the national sections of IBBY, and winners are selected by an international jury of children's literature specialists. Recipients include many of the greatest figures in children's literature across all cultures and traditions: Astrid Lindgren, E.B. White, Meindert DeJong, Tove Jansson, Uri Shulevitz, Quentin Blake, Jutta Bauer, Nahoko Uehashi, Jacqueline Woodson, and Sydney Smith, among many others. The award is presented at the IBBY Congress, held every two years.