The International Board on Books for Young People has announced the 2028 Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury.
The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international distinction in the field of books for young people. Given every other year by IBBY, the Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are given to a writer and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important and lasting contribution to children’s and youth literature.
The following ten children’s book specialists were selected by the IBBY Executive Committee to serve as members of the 2028 Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury.
● Nadia El Kholy from Egypt, Cairo University professor and President of the Egyptian Book Council for Young Readers, specializing in children’s literature and translation.
● Giorgia Grilli from Italy, children’s literature professor at the University of Bologna and co-founder of the Italian Centre of Research in Children’s Literature.
● Le Thu Phuong Quynh from Vietnam, children’s book publisher specializing in editorial development, picture book publishing, translation, and is with the global literacy team of Room to Read.
● Shailaja Menon from India, expert in early literacy and children’s literature, leading initiatives at Tata Trusts and organizing educational festivals across India.
● Mare Müürsepp from Estonia, distinguished scholar and critic of children’s literature, with extensive experience in academia and international literary evaluations.
● Ana Elsa (Anel) Martínez Pérez from Mexico, researcher, teacher and cultura manager focusing on the history of reading, children’s literature and reading promotion.
● Josiane Polidori from Canada, former head librarian of the Children’s Literature, Library and Archives at the National Library of Canada.
● Sara Reis da Silva from Portugal, scholar and assistant professor with habilitation at the Institute of Education of the University of Minho, Braga.
● Margaret Anne Suggs from Ireland, accomplished illustrator and educator who has made significant contributions to children’s literature through her teaching and artistic work
● Jochen Weber from Germany, head of the language section at the International Youth Library in Munich, also serving as a children’s book translator and reviewer.
The jury will work under the guidance of Jury President, Shereen Kreidieh, who stated, “The strength of the Hans Christian Andersen Award lies in its international character and in its recognition of excellence in children’s literature across cultures and languages.
“The selection of the new Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury was guided by the importance of bringing together a group of professionals with diverse expertise and perspectives. We considered their experience in children’s literature, their knowledge of different languages and literary traditions, while also seeking to give professionals from countries that have had less opportunity to participate in the Award a place at the table. I look forward to working with this committed and diverse jury as we begin the important work ahead, listening to different perspectives, engaging in thoughtful discussion, and ensuring a fair, transparent and rigorous process in selecting the next laureates”.
IBBY executive director Carolina Ballester is an ex officio Jury member, serving as
Jury Secretary.
The 2028 Hans Christian Andersen Award nominees will be announced on 5 April 2027 at the IBBY Press Conference to be held at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
The Hans Christian Andersen Award is sponsored by the Selangor Public Library Corporation of Malaysia. Established in 1968, the Corporation gathers a network of 104 service centres, anchored by a 203,600-square-foot facility in Shah Alam.
Guided by a vision of lifelong learning, it empowers communities through accessible library services,
the promotion of reading, and support for the state’s social development goals. This marks the first award cycle sponsored by the Selangor Public Library Corporation.
IBBY The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), established in 1953, is a nonprofit organization that represents an international network of people from over 80 countries who are committed to bringing books and children together.
