International Jānis Baltvilks Prize Awarded in Children's Literature and Book Art

On Friday, July 24, the ceremony for the International Jānis Baltvilks Prize took place at the Botanical Garden of the University of Latvia. The prize recognizes achievements in children's literature and book art.

In the writing category, Osvalds Zebris was the laureate for his book "Andris un Kalna Klapētājs", published by Liels un mazs. The best illustrator award went to Marta Folkmane for her illustrations in "Moka un Robers". Her work, using classical drawing techniques, blends present and past events from the perspectives of a dog and a human.

The international prize was awarded to Norwegian writer Maria Parr for the book "Mēs ar Tūru" (published by Liels un mazs), along with its translator Jolanta Pētersone. The jury's special prize went to Daina Tabūna and Aleksejs Naumovs for the book "Aspazija" (published by Latvijas mediji), recognized for their innovative approach in the biographical picture book genre.

AS Latvijas valsts meži prize "Jaunaudze" for the best debut in children's literature was awarded to poet Ivars Šteinbergs and artist Jurijs Tatarkins for the poetry collection "ams, ams, ams!" (published by Liels un mazs). The readers' choice award, determined by a vote on portal Lsm.lv, went to Jekaterina Griškjāne for the book "Es esmu mājiņā" (published by Zvaigzne ABC).

The ceremony also honored other nominees, including Inese Zandere, Māris Rungulis, and others. The Baltvilks Prize has been the largest state prize for children's and youth literature in Latvia since 2005. Its goal is to promote the development of children's literature, its international recognition, and reading traditions. This year's jury included educators, artists, and public representatives.