South Korean illustrator Suzy Lee was recently announced as the winner of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award 2022 by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).
With the announcement, she became the first Korean winner ever and the first Asian winner in 38 years to win the award which will be given out at an award ceremony during IBBY’s annual conference in Malaysia later this year. The last time the award was given to an Asian illustrator was in 1984 when Japanese illustrator Mitsumasa Anno won it.
The award is named after the 19th-century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen who is known for his children’s fairy tales and was founded in 1956. The Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Author Award are given out to a living illustrator and author whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children’s literature. This year, French children’s writer Marie-Aude Murail won the Hans Christian Andersen Author Award.
The full list of nominees was announced in late 2020 and Suzy Lee was selected out of a total of 66 candidates from 33 countries who were considered for this year’s award.
About the Award win, Suzy Lee said, “I am honored and humbled by just being nominated with other great candidates, all of whom I respect. I’m also grateful because this feels like a sign that Korean children’s literature is being recognized around the world.”
Source: Yahoo News
