Four of the Ministry of Culture’s seven prizes for the best children’s and young adult books in 2015 have been awarded to Cappelen Damm. The following authors and illustrators are among the winners:

  • Literature Prize: Inga H. Særtre for Fyrvokterne (The Lighthouse Keepers)
  • Picture Book Prize: Stian Hole for Morkels alfabet (Morkel’s Alphabet)
  • Illustration Prize: Bo Gaustad for Kattejenta (The Cat Girl)
  • Debutant Prize: Alice Lima de Faria for Det var ikke jeg! sa Robinhund (‘It wasn’t me!’ said Robinhound)

The prizes were announced and awarded by Minister of Culture Linda Hofstad Helleland at a ceremony at the National Library of Norway.

About the Ministry of Culture’s prizes for children’s and young adult literature:

Every year, the Ministry of Culture awards prizes for the year’s best children’s and young adult books. The prizes were first awarded in 1948. The prizes came about due to a desire to strengthen Norwegian children’s’ literature after the war’s lack of publications and to counteract the increasing number of comic strips being published after paper rationing ended, among other things. Much has happened since then, including comic strips being given their own prize category, and the Norwegian Institute for Children’s Books (NBI) has been responsible for appointing the jury and awarding the prizes since 2003.

Cover The Lighthouse keepers
 

Literature Prize:

Author Inga H. Særtre’s book Fyrvokterne takes place on an island in a fjord mouth. Astrid and Sølvi and a sheep live there. One day, someone knocks on the door. A man is standing outside with a huge suitcase. He wants to sell them its contents in exchange for the island. The two women have always had what they needed, but the suitcase changes matters, and someone has to leave the island…

Cover Morkels alphabet
 

Picture Book Prize:

Illustrator and author Stian Hole’s Morkels alfabet is an original and beautiful story about birds and wanting a friend. Morkel has a cabin in the woods, where Anna finds him. Both love words and letters. Everyone has their own alphabet, Anna thinks, and it can take a long time to make sense of the letters…

Cover The Cat Girl
 

Illustration Prize:

Illustrator and author Bo Gaustad is responsible for the funny and expressive illustrations in Veronica Erstad’s book Kattejenta, which was also nominated for the Debutant Prize. This is a charming read-aloud book about friends, cats, secrets and wanting to make your own decisions. The book is in nynorsk (New Norwegian).

Cover ‘It wasn’t me!’ said Robinhound
 

Debutant Prize:

Scenographer and illustrator Alice Lima de Faria debuts as an author with Det var ikke jeg! sa Robinhund. This is a charming picture book that takes children’s perception of reality seriously. We meet little Robinhound, who has a strong and reliable big brother he can play with. Why in that case does he have to go to nursery, when he has so much fun at home?