IYL News: Joke van Leeuwen Wins the First James Krüss Award

For the work of the International Youth Library in Munich (IYL), James Krüss has played, and still plays, a special role. Krüss, whose works have been translated into numerous languages, is one of the best-known German children's book authors of the second half of the 20^th century. After the death of this multi-talented children's poet, storyteller, and novelist, his heirs transferred his literary estate to the IYL in order to keep his memory alive and make his works and information about his life available to the general public as well as to researchers. In 2001, a small permanent exhibition was opened in the James-Krüss-Tower at Blutenburg Castle, the seat of the IYL.

To commemorate the cosmopolitan author, James Krüss's heirs have now founded a new children's literature award: The "James Krüss Preis für internationale Kinder- und Jugendliteratur" (James Krüss Award for International Children's and Young Adult Literature). The award celebrates and promotes the complete works of a living author of children's or young adult literature whose texts stand out for their linguistic skill, originality, imaginative way of storytelling, and humanity; i.e. works that share these characteristics with the works of James Krüss. Eligible for the award are German-speaking authors or authors from abroad whose works have been translated into German. Thus it adds an international aspect to the various prizes and awards for children's and young adult literature already in existence in the German-speaking countries. The prize includes a monetary award of 8,000 Euros and will be awarded biennially.

The inaugural James Krüss Award 2013 was presented to the Dutch author Joke van Leeuwen. Her two main translators into German, Hanni Ehlers and Mirjam Pressler, were also honoured. With the constant quality of her books, her innovative approaches and her immense respect for her young readers, Joke van Leeuwen has been composing outstanding books for children and young adults for many years. The James Krüss Award jury says:

Each of her books is a small work of art in itself. The author and illustrator is a master of linguistic and visual means. With great ease she switches between the level of text and images by playing with the imagery of language and the symbolism of images. As with James Krüss, her work is distinguished by a great sensitivity for the language and forms she uses, by a meta-literary quality to the texts, in which she explores the various possibilities of literature in an imaginative way, and by a great sympathy for her child protagonists. A characteristic feature of Joke van Leeuwen's books is a fresh, irreverent and reckless tone, with which she describes childhood as a personal cosmos without idealising or glorifying it. Her books have a socio-critical depth to them and point to the author's passionate advocacy for the rights of the child. This also reflects the literary kinship of Joke van Leeuwen with the man whose name this prize holds, James Krüss.

Joke van Leeuwen, born in 1952 in The Hague, made her literary debut in 1978 with the book De Appelmoesstraat is anders [Applesauce Street Is Different]. Since then she has written over 60 picture books, books for children and young people, and non-fiction titles. Among them are such renowned titles as Iep! [Eep!] and Toen mijn vader een struik werd [The Day My Father became a Bush]. So far, thirteen of her books have been translated into German.

The award ceremony was held on 4 July 2013 in the Jella Lepman Hall at the International Youth Library, at Blutenburg Castle. Joke van Leeuwen, as well as her translators, Hanni Ehlers and Mirjam Pressler, was present for the occasion. The magnificent laudatory speech was delivered by German author, journalist, and translator Sybil Gräfin Schönfeldt, who knew James Krüss personally. In a witty and sensitive way, she praised the accomplishments...