In 2024, with the support of Illustrators Ireland, Children’s Books Ireland, and IBBY Ireland, I applied for and was appointed to the 2026 International Jury for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children’s books. The medals are awarded every other year by IBBY International and is in recognition of the artists’ lifelong achievements, their complete body of work and their lasting contributions to children’s literature.
2024 - 2026 HCA Jury
Duties for the jury as a children’s book and children’s book illustration specialist included a year of reading, analysing and assessing the dossiers and sample books of over 75 international candidates. We then convened for a week in Munich’s International Youth Library for deliberations and decisions. Shortlists will be announced in March at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the winners will be announced at the IBBY International Congress in Ottawa, Canada in August 2026.
