Simon Stranger

This message goes out to the boy I once was. A thin kid, terrible at football, who spent his days immersed in a world of reading and writing. Creating stories, and realizing that books are not merely stacks of paper, but portals to an infinite number of worlds. Among them were the books my mother read to me: the heartbreaking, funny and surprising novels by Astrid Lindgren that made us both laugh and cry as we eagerly awaited the next turn in the story.

I have written eleven books for children and young adults myself, and I have drawn so much inspiration from readers all over the world, from Mexico to Palestine, from France to Finnmark in Norway. Yesterday I received the news that I have been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, ALMA for short, alongside writers and illustrators from all over the world. It is a huge honour, and the world’s largest literary prize in its category. It is often called the Nobel Prize for children’s literature, reflected in the prize sum: 5 million Swedish kronor.

I sometimes wish I could travel back in time to the kid I once was and tell him it will be all right. I especially wish I could tell 16-year-old Simon, who was lonely and struggling, that there is so much waiting for you. Among those things is this nomination, and the acknowledgement that my words can move other people — and that perhaps, somewhere, a little boy or girl is thrilled by the stories I create.

A heartfelt thank you to the jury, and applause for my fellow nominees!

Read more about the prize by clicking on the link below.