ILF wins Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2024
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) has won the 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), worth five million Swedish kronor (A$710,000).
The ILF was announced as the winner at a live program from Stockholm and at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair on 9 April. The ALMA is a global award given annually to a person or organisation for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature, and is the largest award of its kind in the world.
The ILF was chosen as the winner from 245 candidates from 68 countries and regions. ‘The importance of all people’s own languages and stories is the foundation for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation’s shining work among First Nations peoples in Australia,’ said ALMA jury chair Boel Westin. ‘Their innovative activities, which build on respect, collaboration and sensitivity, are an inspiration for reading promotion work around the world.’
In a statement, ILF CEO Ben Bowen thanked the ALMA jury, and said the organisation is ‘deeply honoured to receive this award’. ‘The achievement of being shortlisted let alone being the winner of such a globally prestigious award speaks directly to the nature of the ILF being a Community-led organisation entrusted to support remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community literacy aspirations,’ said Bowen. ‘Throughout the lifetime of the ILF, we have had the privilege of being invited into Community and entrusted to support their aspirations through providing culturally relevant books and literacy resources and publishing their stories in the language they choose.
‘This is not possible without the support of our donors, supporters, volunteers, Ambassadors and Community partners that enable an organisation of around thirty staff to support literacy in over four hundred remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. This award is a direct acknowledgement to Communities we partner with, corporate partners and supporters, donors, Ambassadors, our Board and volunteers that have all played a critical role in building the ILF. Thank you and congratulations.’
ILF publisher Nicola Robinson was present in Bologna to receive the award on behalf of the organisation. The prize money will be used to support the ILF’s ongoing ambition to ‘support Community literacy aspiration through publishing and providing culturally relevant books and resources’.
Last year’s winner of the award was US author Laurie Halse Anderson. Previous Australian winners of the ALMA were Sonya Hartnett in 2008 and Shaun Tan in 2011.
Category: Awards Local news
