ALMA Award 2011

I was right there, at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, waiting for the announcements of the 2011 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, people started to gather, await was filled with soothed chattering. I asked myself if it would be as touching as it were last year: Kitty Crowther's work has, for me, a special meaning and this was one of the reasons why I felt so much touched when the announcement was made in 2010. And like last year Kitty was there, once again, she sat right in front of me, which made me all emotional again, when I see her I always feel like a kid facing her hero! Ok, enough with emotions, let's regain composure!

I decided to grab my camera and wait...

Who will be the winner? I was wondering, fervent with expectation.

The jury members arrived, the moment was getting closer... time to start shooting!

And, directly from Sweden, the name is finally announced: "The winner is....

SHAUN TAN

A wonderful year for the australian illustrator: after the more glamourous recognitions directly form Hollywood here it comes, the most important prize for an illustrator, the ALMA Award!!!

Amid his books:

Once again the ALMA jury has selected an illustrator whose unique, courageous, work stands out of traditional values, whose way of looking at the world can be mercyless, whose ability to find poetry in smaller details, that slowly become predominant, is unequalled. 

Here is my video (once again I do apologise for all its imperfection) of the announcement, enjoy!