Three new members join the ALMA jury

The board of the Swedish Arts Council has appointed three new jury members to the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA): Mats Kempe, author and librarian, Annika Edlund, literary educator and children’s librarian, and Henry Ascher, paediatrician.

“We’re delighted that these three widely respected experts have agreed to join the jury,” said Kennet Johansson, Director General of the Swedish Arts Council. “They bring with them extensive expertise in children’s and young adult literature worldwide, reading advocacy and children’s rights.”

Mats Kempe lives in Stockholm and works at Barnängens världsbibliotek, an international library. Annika Edlund is chief children’s librarian at Grubbebiblioteket in Umeå and an active member of two arts associations. Henry Ascher, paediatrician and a professor of public health, is a visiting lecturer at Sahlgrenska Akademin in Gothenburg.

The three new jury members replace Birgitta Fransson, journalist and literary critic, Ulla Lundqvist, writer, and Lars H. Gustafsson, paediatrician and author, whose term ends on 30 June 2012.

The board also reappointed Elina Druker, Maria Lassén-Seger and Lennart Eng to the jury for a further term, ending on 30 June 2016.

The ALMA jury consists of 12 members appointed by the board of the Swedish Arts Council.

Contacts
Rebecka Svensén, Communications Officer
Tel: +46 8 519 264 20
Email: rebecka.svensen@alma.se

Helene Andersson, Communications Officer
Tel: +46 8 519 264 17
Email: helene.andersson@alma.se