Swiss illustrator Albertine wins 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award
Swiss illustrator Albertine (Zullo) in front of one of her frescoes at the Ibis Styles hotel in Geneva, which is entirely dedicated to comic books.
Keystone / Magali Girardin
Albertine, a Geneva-based Swiss illustrator, has won the prestigious 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Prize 2020 for her illustrations for children's books.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
Français
fr
La dessinatrice suisse Albertine décroche le Prix Hans Christian Andersen 2020
“Albertine creates books with multiple levels of interpretation, with drawings made with infinite precision that are lively and full of humour,” the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) said on Monday in a press release.External link
The Hans Christian Andersen Award, which the NGO hands out every two years, is considered one of the highest international awards for authors and illustrators of children’s books.
The illustrator told Swiss public television, RTS, that the news had taken her by surprise.
“I was in my garden in my rubber boots and got a call from someone in English. I thought I’d won a mattress from the supermarket Conforama or something like that. It took me several hours to realise. It’s a crazy surprise. I didn’t expect it at all. The best prizes are the ones you don’t expect,” she declared.
Albertine is the fourth Swiss illustrator to be awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Prize after Alois Carigiet (1966), Jörg Müller (1994) and Jürg Schubiger (2008). An international jury selected her from among 36 candidates from all over the world.
Albertine, whose family name is Zullo, has shown her work in many exhibitions in Switzerland and France. She has produced numerous children’s books, illustrations, posters and other artwork.
She was the first Swiss artist to be awarded the prestigious Golden Apple in Bratislava, which she received for her Marta et la bicyclette. In 2009 she won the Schweizer Kinder- und Jugendmedienpreis for La Rumeur de Venise. Her Les oiseaux, a collaboration with the writer Germano Zullo, was awarded the Prix Sorcières and was listed by the New York Times Book Review as one of the Top 10 Books of the Year in 2012. Mon tout petit was awarded First Prize at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2016.
At the online ceremony on Monday, American author Jacqueline Woodson also won the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Prize for writing.
Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.
More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
This content was published on
A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
This content was published on
The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
This content was published on
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
This content was published on
American artist Chaka Khan ‘and friends’ opened the 59th Montreux Jazz Festival on Friday. For over three hours, their show, dedicated to their friend and mentor Quincy Jones, thrilled the audience,
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.