Writer Lee Geum-yi, illustrator Kwon Yoon-duck nominated for Andersen Award

Children’s book author Lee Geum-yi and illustrator Kwon Yoon-duck have been selected as the Korean candidates for the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

The Korean Board on Books for Young People, the Korean branch of the International Board on Books for Young People, announced the nominees for the prestigious literary award during a general meeting held at the Suwon Convention Center on Saturday.

Lee, 61, debuted in 1984 with the short story “With Younggu and Heukgu.” Her works include the historical novels “The Picture Bride,” “Can’t I Go Instead,” the coming-of-age novel “Yujin and Yujin,” and the children's books “You are a Twilight Lily, Too" and “Sohee’s Room.”

Lee was also nominated as the Korean candidate for the Andersen prize in 2020.

Illustrator Kwon, 63, debuted in 1995 with the picture book “Man-hee’s House” and has been praised for embodying traditional Korean folk painting styles. Kwon’s major works include “My Cat Copies Me,” “There Dangles a Spider,” “Flower Grandma” and “Pikaia.”

The literature biennale, which started in 1956 to honor the Danish children’s story writer Hans Christian Andersen, recognizes one living author and one living illustrator who has made a lasting contribution to children’s literature.

The full list of candidates will be presented at the IBBY Bologna Children’s Book Fair on March 6-9. A shortlist will be announced in February 2024, and the winners will be revealed in March at the Bologna book fair the same year.

Illustrator Suzy Lee, who won the award in 2022, was the first Korean to receive the prize.

Meanwhile, the KBBY also announced writer Yoo Eun-sil as the Korean candidate for the 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the annual award created by the Swedish government in 2002, the year Astrid Lindgren of “My name is Pippi Longstocking” passed away.

Yoo, 49, became a children’s book writer with “My Name is Baek-seok” that was published in Changbi Children, a quarterly magazine for children's literature by Changbi Publisher, in 2004.

Her major works include “My Doksan-dong,” "Soon Rye House,” “My Teacher Lindren” and “The Bunting Boy.” Yoo was listed in the 2010 IBBY Honor List with “Lee Yu-jeong, the Perfect.”

Writer Lee Sang-kyo and illustrator Lee Young-kyoung have been nominated for the 2023 edition, of which the laureate will be announced in March.

Picture book artist Baek Hee-na became the first Korean artist to achieve the feat in 2020.