Hans Christian Andersen Awards 2026

Shereen Kreidieh holds a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a teaching diploma in early-childhood education from the American University in Beirut, a Master’s degree in children’s literature from the University of Surrey Roehampton, and a PhD in Publishing from Oxford Brookes University. In 1998, Shereen founded Dar Asala, a publishing house in Beirut that produces high quality children’s books in Arabic, and of which she remains general manager.

She is a member of several organizations in Lebanon and abroad, including the International Research Society for Childrens Literature. Shereen is currently the president of the Lebanese Board of Books for Young People (LBBY), as well as a lecturer of children’s literature and social work at Haigazian University in Lebanon. She is a member of the Book and Reading Promotion Committee within the Ministry of Culture in Lebanon. In addition, she regularly participates in tours and seminars that discuss the issues of publishing and children’s books.

Shereen served as a member of the 2018 and 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury.

Brenda Dales taught children’s and young adult literature at Miami University in Ohio for several years and recently transitioned to Professor Emerita to focus more on research and writing as an independent scholar. After earning her BS in 1971, she taught at a public school in Trenton, Ohio for several years and has been a reviewer of literature for young people and has presented nationally and internationally.

She joined IBBY after attending a USBBY conference during her doctoral studies, and continues to be enamoured with international literature. Brenda has been a member of many committees that are focused on international children’s literature, including the USBBY Outstanding International Books Committee, and the ALSC/ALA Notable Children’s Books Committee. She has also been a member of the ALA Caldecott Award Committee, and the 2021 Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava international jury.

Participating in curating and organizing the 2018 special exhibition of original children’s picture book art created by, and about, African-Americans for the Miami University (Ohio) Art Museum was among her favourite projects. She remains deeply involved in children’s literature research and scholarship.

Brenda served as a member of the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury.

Nadia El Kholy is Professor of English in the Department of English Language and Literature at Cairo University. She served as Director of the National Council for children’s culture and is currently President of the Egyptian Board of Books for Young Readers (EBBY). Her research interests include writing and translation for children, comparative and postcolonial literature, and gender studies.

Nadia El Kholy has contributed to the Oxford Encyclopaedia of Children’s Literature. She was co-editor of the Women Writing Africa series published by the Feminist Press in New York, and the ASTENE publication Egypt in the Eyes of Travellers. She has published a number of articles on modern Arabic and English novels and has translated Alice in Wonderland into Arabic.

Nadia was a member of the jury for the Hans Christian Andersen in 2012 and again in 2020. Additionally, she has served on the IBBY Executive Committee from 2010 to 2014.

Giorgia Grilli teaches children’s literature at the University of Bologna. She co-founded the Italian Centre of Research in Children’s Literature (Centro di Ricerche in Letteratura per l’infanzia). She has been a speaker in several international conferences in Europe and the USA, where, in 2015, the Children's Literature Association awarded her the title of 'Distinguished Scholar'. She also organized several international conferences on children’s literature, often in collaboration with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

Giorgia has written/edited many articles and monographs on children’s literature. She has contributed to entries on several authors in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature, and sits on the editorial board of the journal of children’s literature Libri&Liberi, while she collaborates regularly with other academic publications on children’s literature.

She is the author of several notable books, including: Di cosa parlano l libri per bambini. La letteratura per l’infanzia come critica radicale [What children’s books are about: Children’s Literature as radical critique] (Donzelli); Myth, Symbol and Meaning in Mary Poppins. The Governess as Provocateur (Routledge); and the chapter 'Non-fiction' of The Routledge Companion of Children's Literature and Culture (Routledge).

Diana Laura Kovach holds a degree in Literature and Modern Letters at the University of Buenos Aires, and graduated as a teacher of literature in 2007. Since then, she has devoted herself to teaching literature in middle schools located in vulnerable areas of Buenos Aires Province. In 2021, she obtained a PhD from the National Institute for Teacher’s Training (INFOD) as a specialist in schools and digital communities, and in 2023 she also obtained the title of Master Specialist in literature for children’s and young people from the CEPLI-Universidad Castilla La Mancha, Spain. She attended numerous courses and seminars in children’s literature.

Since 2010, Diana Kovach has been working with teachers at the Instituto de Formación, specializing in literature for young people. She served as a jury member for the Vivalectura Award organized by the Santillana Foundation in 2018 and 2019.

She is currently a member of the Children’s and Young People Book Fair Committee at the Fundación El Libro de Buenos Aires and since 2015, she has been a member of the executive board of ALIJA, the Argentinian section of IBBY.

Diana served as a member of the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury.

Shailaja Menon leads the Centre of Excellence in Early Literacy in Tata Trusts, India. She also anchors the Early Learning Network, India. She has taught in various universities in India and abroad for more than 15 years. She is the founding member and the lead organizer of Katha Vana, an annual bilingual children’s festival for government school children, held by Azim Premji University. In addition, she is also a board member in organizations working for language and literacy education in India. Shailaja has served on the jury of children’s literature awards in India such as, the Hindu-Goodbooks Children’s Literature Award, Bangalore Literature Festival Children’s Book Prize, and Parag Initiative’s Big Little Book Award. Recently, she has co-edited children’s books: An Indian Story, a collection of contemporary writings on the landscape of children’s literature in India, published in June 2024.

Shailaja has written numerous research papers and articles focusing on Children’s Literature and Literacy Education and contributed much to the sector through her efforts and dedication. She is a member of the Indian section of IBBY.

Trained as primary school teacher, Mare Müürsepp dedicated her PhD thesis to the history and values of children’s literature during the 20^th century and has lectured courses on children’s literature at Tallinn Pedagogical Institute/Tallinn University since 1984. She has decades of experience in international relations, participated in numerous conferences and published articles on children’s literature.

She is a prolific and respected critic of children’s literature and has been active in several award panels, including the Tower of Babel Translated Literature Award, the Edgar Valter Illustration Award, the Estonian Cultural Endowment Literature Award, and the selection of the best books by the Estonian Society of Children's Welfare.

Mare Müürsepp belongs to the board of IBBY Estonia and is also active in other associations related to children's literature and reading.

Margaret Anne Suggs has completed both an MA in Visual Communications and an MA in History of Design and Applied Arts. She founded the illustration course at Ballyfermot College of Further Education (Dublin) and continues to lecture part-time. She is a recognised illustrator in her own right, having authored/illustrated over a dozen books translated in four languages, and won the 2016 Irish Children’s Book of the Year.

After six years on the board of IBBY Ireland, Margaret Anne Suggs now volunteers as the administrator of the Silent Books Collections in Ireland, ensuring that the books get to libraries and schools with high migrant numbers and low literacy rates. As a board member for Illustrators Ireland, she organised an exhibition and lecture series honouring former Hans Christian Andersen Award winner, Tomi Ungerer. Margaret Anne served on the 2023 BIB International Jury as Chairperson.

An archive of Margaret Anne’s illustration work is now held in the National Library of Ireland.

Fengxia Tan is a professor of literature at Nanjing Normal University in China. She has been focusing on children’s literature for over twenty years. As a distinguished scholar in the field, she has held leadership positions in several important academic societies, including vice-president of the Chinese Children’s Literature Research Association, vice-president of the Chinese and Foreign Children’s Literature Research Society and executive director of the Research Center for Contemporary Literature for Young People.

Fengxia Tan has abundant international academic experience and has contributed significantly to prompt exchange in this field. Her research areas include children’s and young adult literature, picture books, films, modern Chinese literature and comparative literature. Besides, she also devotes herself to promoting high-quality children’s reading in China and has translated English children’s books into Chinese.

She has served as a jury member for several literature awards, including the National Outstanding Children’s Literature Award and the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award. She is a member of the Chinese section of IBBY.

Holly Tonks holds a MA in Victorian Art Literature and Culture from Royal Holloway, University of London. She currently serves as Editorial Director at HarperCollins Children’s Books where she focuses on commissioning and developing picture books, novelty and non-fiction titles. Her list includes Paddington, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Brambly Hedge. She focuses on publishing inclusive stories that are reflective on the global community.

She has worked in publishing for over 12 years and throughout her career has worked with authors and illustrators to shape the very best children’s books. From 2020 to 2023, she also lectured on publishing at the City University of London, focusing particularly on teaching picture book creation and content strategy.

Holly Tonks served as international judge for the 2022 Irish Children’s Book Awards, she co-chaired the 2017 Children’s Book Circle and has worked alongside Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) to publication of the 2020 and 2021 edition of the report Reflecting Realities. She is a member of IBBY UK.

Morgane Vasta is a book professional, children’s animator and university teacher. She started her career as a children’s bookseller, and in 2012 she became an independent mediator specialising in children’s literature.

Currently, she trains librarians and publishes reviews of novels and non-fiction books for children. She also runs workshops for teenagers that nurtures their enthusiasm for writing and reading. After gaining a Master’s degree in children’s literature, Morgane Vasta was an associate researcher at the Bibliothèque nationale de France from 2015 to 2017. She has published articles on the challenges of translation and the diversity of representations in literature. She currently teaches courses on novels for teens and transmedia development in fiction at the University of Sorbonne Paris Nord. She is a member of the association Lecture Jeunesse, which studies the reading practices of teenagers, and the French Association of Research on Books and Cultural Objects of Childhood (Afreloce).

As a member of IBBY France, Morgane is interested in the way stories and illustrations for children can bridge different cultures. She has participated in the development of bibliographies and enjoys visiting other sections of IBBY when she travels.

Morgane served as a member of the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury.