Earlier today at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, Canadian author-illustrator Jon Klassen was named the winner of the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), the first Canadian to win this international prize. Administered by the Swedish Arts Council, the annual prize of 5,000,000 Swedish kronor (approx. $530K USD)—the largest award of its kind—is awarded to a person or organization for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature.
The twelve-person jury had this to say about Klassen's work:
"Through his subtle and evocative storytelling in words and pictures, Jon Klassen opens new perspectives on our place in the universe. What happens when a rock falls from the sky, when hats disappear or a skull begins living a life of its own? With precision, emotion and inventive wit, life’s challenges of uncertainty and hopefulness are portrayed in an interplay of colour and form. Jon Klassen’s brilliant tales stand out for their effortless elegance and ambiguous depth, where the reader becomes a co-creator."
Read the in-depth text by the jury here.
Klassen will be presented with the award by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden on May 25, 2026, at the Concert Hall in Stockholm.
To learn more about the ALMA, visit alma.se. For a complete list of the Canadians nominated to this year's prize click here.